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General Information:
A large number of our students travel to and from school by bus. With prior school permission, Year 12 and 13 students are permitted to use cars or motor-cycles.
Pompallier Catholic College is well served by a network of Ministry of Education bus routes and public, fare paying services. Buses arrive and depart from inside the school, providing safe loading and unloading.
Students are allocated a space on a service, where available (refer to Ministry of Education Bus Services below).
Students are issued with printed Student ID cards in the first few weeks of Term 1. This card shows which bus they are eligible to catch, and these must be produced every time when boarding their allocated bus, to ensure safe loading. We operate a “No Pass No Ride” policy. If a student is unable, when asked, to produce the correct pass for that bus, they may be refused travel and have to make their own arrangements.
Temporary passes are issued at the Student Centre during interval or lunch breaks for lost or misplaced passes, or while awaiting a replacement Student ID (a charge will apply).
Variances to student travel may be made in emergencies only. Parents must contact the Student Centre directly to see if a place can be made available for that day only. Please try to make your own arrangements as there is no guarantee of a seat.
Students are expected to adhere to our Bus Travel Code of Conduct at all times.
Ministry of Education Bus Services:
The Ministry of Education (MoE) attempts to provide transport for those students who live more than 4.8 km from the School and do not have access to public bus transport.
Eligibility is based on a student’s primary residential address and accessibility to suitable public fare paying services, within MoE guidelines. These can be accessed on the MoE website: Ministry of Education (search for School Transport).
Students who reside within 4.8km of our school, or within 2.4km of a suitable public route, are expected by the MoE to use the available public fare paying services, or to find their own way to school.
Where there is no Ministry bus service and no suitable public route available(**), parents may apply for transport assistance funding for private travel through the Ministry of Education. Eligibility criteria and application forms are available online through the MoE website, or from our Student Centre. Please refer to the Transport Assistance information below for further information and links to the MoE website.
** The MoE have deemed Route 1 (Hikurangi to Pompallier) and City Link bus services as “suitable public transport”. These are fare paying routes.
Due to changes in our school’s population, and to comply with MoE regulations, it is necessary to reallocate seats on all of the MoE buses to Pompallier Catholic College at the beginning of each year. Reviews are also carried out regularly, as and when required.
In order to prevent overloading on a few routes, it is regrettable that some students who may have been travelling on MoE buses, may no longer be able to use the service. Please check the information for available services in your area.
The College expects all students to display a high standard of behaviour on all buses. Serious misconduct on a school bus will result in a student being suspended from bus travel.
If you have any queries regarding the above, please email our Bus Co-Ordinator, Michelle Lawson: buses@pompallier.school.nz
Bus Routes
Bus routes are subject to change each year depending upon school rolls and loadings.
Spaces are allocated to eligible passengers according to residency, loadings, eligibility and availability of public services. Please note that having travelled on a bus route previously does not automatically entitle students to travel.
Bus route information is available below and is updated as new information is received by us. You can also contact the Bus Contractor, Ritchies Buses, to check times and pick up points, on 09 438 7142.
Transport Assistance
The Ministry of Education website covers students’ eligibility for School Transport Assistance. The following link will direct you to this page:
1 – The Ministry of Education definition of “suitable public transport” is a service that:-
- travels within 2.4km of the student’s home; and
- travels within 2.4km of the school; and
- has a suitable timetable; and
- does not require the student to change buses more than once per journey
Note: The MoE have deemed Route 1 (Hikurangi to Pompallier) and the City Link bus services as “suitable public transport”. These are fare paying routes.
Therefore, apply for Transport Assistance if you live more than 4.8km away from school and do not travel on an MoE bus (except where the 2.5km rule applies) or suitable fare paying service.
Transport Assistance applications, in the form of a conveyance allowance, can be made via this link and then clicking on “Apply for Conveyance Allowance”.
If you move house, you need to contact the Ministry of Education directly on the number below.
All queries regarding Transport Assistance and Allowances should be directed to: Ministry of Education, Tel: 0800 287 272
