Parents put brakes on school bus termination

East Auckland parents have won a halt on controversial plans to axe dedicated school buses and make school children catch regular public transport.

Auckland Transport spokesman James Ireland says the agency had agreed to go back to all 27 affected schools and postpone the proposed changes for those unhappy with the move.

“We are going to go back to each school that will have changes and just check with them, here’s what we are proposing, are you happy?” he said. “If they are not, we will postpone those changes. If they are, the changes will go ahead.”

The decision is at least a temporary victory for more than 1400 parents who signed a petition asking Auckland Transport to reinstate the school bus services, which it had planned to stop at the end of this year.

Botany mother Angelika Sansom, who helped organise the campaign, said about 20 parents attended a Howick Local Board meeting on Monday night to seek support to keep the services.

Parents said they would have to drive to pick up their children to get them home in time for after-school sports and other activities because it would take too long for them to get home by public transport.

Ireland said Auckland Transport acknowledged that it “could have done a better job in engaging with them [parents] earlier”.

“After hearing those concerns we are proposing to modify the plans and reinstate buses for two schools [Howick Intermediate and Our Lady Star of the Sea] which previously were having services withdrawn completely,” he said. “We are also altering a school bus route to better serve Botany Downs Primary.

“We are also talking to three other schools where parents have raised issues — Sacred Heart College, Baradene College and Somerville Intermediate.

“We will also go back to all other schools in East Auckland to again check that they are comfortable with our proposals.”