Walking School Bus Walking School Bus
About Walking School Buses
A Walking School Bus is similar to a normal school bus except children walk to and/or from school along a designated route, under the supervision of adult volunteers (often parents), who act as the Walking School Bus driver.
Walking School Buses reduce the number of cars on the road, making our environment safer and cleaner. Children also learn about road safety as they walk and get some exercise in a fun and social way.
If you would like to find out more about how to start, join or help out a Walking School Bus, or if your school has a Walking School Bus, email us at walkingschoolbus@at.govt.nz. Even just one morning or afternoon of your time a week will be a great support to keep children walking.
General information about a Walking School Bus (English, PDF 300KB).
Also available
Walking School Bus safety
How we keep Walking School Buses safe, learn about a sneaky driveway and other important safety tips.
Benefits of the Walking School Bus
For kids
- Children enjoy meeting up and talking to their friends.
- They gain a sense of independence.
- Friendships develop across different age groups.
- They learn about road safety from a pedestrian’s perspective.
- They develop a positive attitude towards walking.
- Improve their overall health and decrease obesity levels.
- Daily exercise can aid academic achievements, as it helps improve concentration, memory and learning.
- Kids just love the fun, organised activities and resources.
For parents
- Enjoy extra free time when you do not have to drop off or pick up your children every day.
- Get to know the families in your neighbourhood.
- Save on fuel costs.
- Learn new skills from the optional workshops provided. All workshops have certificates suitable for a CV.
- Have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the school, your child and other children.
- Take advantage of the routine exercise walking to school provides.
- Help make your school safer by reducing the congestion around the school gate.