Orepuki parents seek to halt bus stop change
Orepuki residents are protesting the move of a school bus stop to a new location outside the township, saying they have major concerns for their children’s safety.
From April 3, students bussing from Orepuki to Riverton Primary School or Aparima College will now have to travel 2km out of town to get to their new bus stop.
Several parents of the students said the new location was a safety risk, being located just off State Highway 99 and near a popular freedom camping destination.
The decision to move the bus stop was made by Aparima College, in order to comply with school zoning limits.
Aparima College principal Kaye Day said while it was regrettable that the situation had occurred, the school had ‘‘no choice’’ in the matter.
‘‘We understand for parents it’s a difficult situation – of course it would be better to have the bus stop in Orepuki, off the main road.
‘‘At the end of the day though we have to abide by the regulations that are set.’’
Day said the Orepuki township had been part of the Waiau Area School zone for several years, which had maintained an agreement to allow school buses from Riverton to use the bus stop.
That memorandum of understanding had recently come to an end however, which had forced the change to be made.
Waiau Area School Principal Andrew Pardoe-Burnett, who arrived at the school at the beginning of 2017, said he was looking into the reason behind the change.
The current bus stop, which is used to take about 14 children into Riverton, is centred in the middle of Orepuki and is off the main road.
Parent Wendy Kennedy said it did not make sense to move the bus stop.
‘‘Where they are currently getting picked up is really good.
‘‘There’s street lighting, toilets, and they’re in a safe area where there are houses all around – they’re very visible.’’
The new bus stop, the location of which was suggested by the New Zealand Transport Agency as the safest option, is located 2.4km out of town at the intersection of State Highway 99 and Frentz Rd.
The site was recommended back in 2015 by the NZTA due to it having relatively low traffic volumes and no history of crashes in the previous five years.
However, parents said the proximity to a main road (with a 100kmh speed limit) and a turn-off to a popular tourist camping spot, meant it posed a serious safety risk for children.
Gayleen Rawlings, whose eight-yearold son rides the bus, said it was a ‘‘major concern’’.
‘‘It’s a terrible place to have it. There’s no lights, no bus shelter, and tourists come in and out of there all of the time.’’
Orepuki Community Development Area member Alastair McCracken said during peak periods, up to 500 tourists a day turned off at the intersection to get to Monkey Island beach.
Bus driver Barry Thomson said it was a difficult intersection to manoeuvre, particularly turning out into traffic.
There was also evidence of human faeces that had been left at the site itself.
NZTA senior network manager Peter Robinson said the agency would be willing to re-examine the decision if needed. ‘‘The NZ Transport Agency is happy to work with the Aparima school community to find the safest site for the school bus pick-ups.
‘‘Whilst a 2015 report had favoured the Frentz Rd site for a number of reasons, the Agency is happy to talk to the school again to resolve this issue.’’
Ministry of Education Infrastructure Service head Kim Shannon said while the ministry provided funding to transport eligible students within their zone, it was otherwise not involved in the decision-making process.