School bus travel advice regarding COVID-19
With the COVID-19 situation continuing to evolve in NSW, it is important to keep up to date with the latest information and advice. School and route bus services are currently operating as normal, however, should this change unexpectedly, our school bus operators will post updates to school and route bus services to their websites. Parents are encouraged to regularly check the websites for updates and announcements regarding bus services for the College in case changes happen unexpectedly outside of school hours. Regular checks to the website will ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Busways – www.busways.com.au
Newcastle Transport – https://transportnsw.info/alerts#/bus
Being safe around buses – a message from our bus provider
In order to ensure student safety around school buses please take note of some important safety tips for students when travelling on and around buses. We encourage you to share these safety tips with your children. When catching the bus, students should remember to:
~ Always use your Opal card
~ Plan ahead and don’t rush for the bus
~ Avoid being distracted by mobile devices when waiting for your service or when crossing roads
~ Stand away from the roadside until the bus comes to a complete stop
~ Listen to your driver and always follow instructions given, they are trained to keep you safe
~ Stay seated and don’t move around the bus unnecessarily
~ If there are no seats, make sure you hold onto handrails or straps at all times
~ Press the button well before your stop to give the driver plenty time to stop safely
~ When the bus is arriving at your stop, stay seated or hold on until the bus has come to a complete stop
~ Watch your step and mind the gutter when getting on and off the bus
~ Most importantly, wait until the bus has gone then use a safe place to cross the road. Don’t walk in front of a bus to cross the road – you can’t see what traffic might be coming up beside the bus
Bus numbers on Opal Cards
To assist us and your child to ensure that your child catches the correct bus home, could we please request you write your child’s bus number in texta on the front of your child’s Opal Card. As well, the best contact parent mobile number would help too, in the case of parents needing to be phoned (this is optional, however). A separate see-through wallet type attachment could be used if preferred. It is most important for your child to be aware and refer to this information when catching the bus.
This information will provide your child, teacher or bus buddy the correct information should your child need assistance quickly, particularly for Kindergarten and Stage One Primary students who may sometimes forget their bus number.