A school bus service from the Otago Peninsula to South Dunedin will continue next year, but it will come at a cost.
During term 4, staff at Tahuna Intermediate, Queen’s High School and King’s High School worked with Ritchies to ensure the bus service from Portobello to the schools would operate from the start of the 2018 school year.
However, King’s High School assistant principal Darin Smith said there were important aspects to the new arrangement that parents and caregivers needed to know, so the service could remain in place from term 2 onwards.
"There will be a one-cost-for-all bus fare of $40 for 10 trips. The service will be cost-neutral.
"It is important for our parent community to know that we have worked as a partnership to ensure the service was maintained, but that the schools simply cannot subsidise the costs of the bus service."
Mr Smith said feedback received so far showed there were several pupils who would use the service after school.
But the schools’ concern was the number of pupils who had indicated they would use the service "sporadically" in the morning, because often they would be dropped off at school.
"We need to stress that if the numbers in the morning hit a level where the service is losing money, then this may put the service in jeopardy for the future.
"A review mid-way through term 1 will be occurring."
Tickets for the service would be sold at the schools’ offices.
Mr Smith said another school bus service did not fare so well.
The Waverley Bus service, previously run by Go Bus in the afternoon, operating between King’s High School, Andersons Bay, Musselburgh Rise, Highcliff Rd, McKerrow St, Larnach Rd, Marne St and Somerville St would no longer operate in 2018.
Pupils living in these areas would have to travel on the Peninsula-Andersons Bay-Sandymount bus service, also run by Go Bus.
