Getting started

Parents who are interested in starting a Walking School Bus can do so by working with the Walking School Bus trainers at the Department of Transport, their Local Government TravelSmart Officer, or Health Promotion Officer.

Please check the contacts page to see if a Walking School Bus trainer is available in your area. 

Who can join the Walking School Bus?

ALL CHILDREN are welcome!

The bus is available for children of all ages. However it is particularly popular with children aged 5 to 8.

By regularly walking on the bus, children have the opportunity to develop road safety awareness and the essential skills to become independent walkers.

If you live within 1 km of your school then the Walking School Bus is ideal for you.

A Walking School Bus is accompanied by at least two trained volunteers. These volunteers can be a parent, grandparent, aunty or uncle.  It can also be a neighbour or a community member interested in helping children get to school.

Benefits of a Walking School Bus

There are many benefits for adults and children to join a Walking School Bus.

These include:

• Reduces traffic congestion around the school.
  
  
• Improves the level of physical activity of children and adults.
  
  
• Improves safety around the school.
  
  
• More enjoyable and time efficient journey than driving to school.
  
  
• Parents build social connections within the community, and children in the neighbourhood get to know each other.
  
  
• Increases street security and contributes to the community.
  
  
• A cleaner environment - for each child who is part of a WSB there is potentially one less vehicle on the road, which reduces pollution.
  
  
• Teaches children about road safety which can be used in later years.
  
  
• Children arrive at school more alert and ready to learn.

Fun and getting to know each other

Safety around the school and less car emissions

The steps to start a Walking School Bus are:

1. Contact your nearest Walking School Bus trainer
   
   
2. Walking School Bus trainer presents to the school parent association or other committee (eg RoadWise).
   
   
3. A parent Survey form (pdf 80kb) goes out with the regular school newsletter.
   The responses are collated and interested parents contacted.
   
   
4. Volunteer training is arranged, usually at the school.
   
   
5. Volunteers decide on their preferred routes. The nearest Walking School Bus trainer will carry out an audit of the proposed walking routes and distribute a map (sample pdf 76kb) and schedule planner (sample pdf 20kb) to all trained volunteers and parents of children walking the route.
   
   
6. Recording number of Walks:
   At the end of school terms 1, 2 and 3 the Volunteer Coordinator submits the online route record form to the Department. The information on this sheet includes:
   
   • The number of children and volunteers walking on the bus
   • The number of trips made by children and volunteers
   • The number of times the bus operated
   
   In exchange for this information we can provide rewards for the Volunteer Coordinator to distribute to the children. It is also a great opportunity for the group’s achievements to be promoted in the school newsletter.
   
   
   
7. Commence the Walking School Bus.