Getting to and from school is about to get easier for students, with extra bus services gearing up to hit the road across Adelaide.
An extra 16 new hybrid buses will be purchased and progressively rolled out across the Adelaide Metro network over the next three years, supporting Riverbanks College, Aldinga Payinthi College and Morialta Secondary College.
Three new services will be introduced from the start of Term 1, 29 January 2024. Two of these will provide Morialta Secondary College with its first dedicated bus route since it opened last year.
Two morning and two evening services will transfer students between the Paradise Interchange and Morialta College (route 620/621), with an additional two services being rolled out along the route in 2026 to keep up with expected enrolments.
From January 2024, Aldinga Payinthi College will receive an extra service to transfer students between the school and Sellicks Beach (route 788). This will be increased to four services by 2026.
This supports the four current services connecting the school to Seaford, Willunga and Sellicks Beach.
Riverbanks College at Angle Vale will also benefit from an extra service scheduled to start next year. The bus will transfer students along route 489 to Smithfield and Munno Para interchanges.
The total number of services each day across these three schools will increase from six currently to 15 by 2026.
Until the new buses are manufactured, services will continue to be maintained by leased buses.
The construction of all 16 Scania buses, worth around $11.75 million, will be carried out by South Australian company BusTech, supporting local jobs and backing the industry.
Additional services are initially targeting recently opened schools in areas where student enrolment and demand is expected to grow. These new services will be able to expand and be redirected to other locations to relieve any strain on the network.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
By increasing our services we hope to see more people choose to take the bus, taking more cars off the road and helping us reduce the amount of emissions going into our atmosphere.
The State Government is taking a sustainable approach to public transport, that's why all 16 new buses will be hybrid, creating a cleaner, greener ride for passengers.
We are again partnering with local company BusTech to build these new buses, supporting local jobs and backing the industry.
As put by Blair Boyer
We are making it easier than ever before for South Australian students to get to and from school safely, sustainably and conveniently with the State Government purchasing 16 brand new buses.
We are focusing on providing parents and students with the services they need by expanding and creating new bus routes, helping connect students to some of the state's newest schools.
