Hon John Gardner MP

Minister for Education

Monday 21 January 2019

Have your say on a review of school bus services

Public consultation has begun on a review to explore how government school buses in regional
areas can provide travel for all students, regardless of whether they attend a government or non-
government school.
Currently more than 430 school bus routes provide transport for students across regional South
Australia and around 14,600 students use the services.
The Government is also considering making school buses available for broader community use and
moving the responsibility for their management from the Education Department to the Department
for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI).
The public consultation is asking parents and caregivers of students, as well as the broader
community in regional South Australia, to consider the following:

• What will be the impact of ensuring all school students in regional SA have the opportunity to
take school bus to school?
• What impacts may occur if government school buses stop at non-government schools?
• What impacts will there be should school buses are made available for community
purposes?
• How would the transfer of government school bus responsibility from the Education
Department to DPTI make services more effective and efficient?

Responses received as part of the consultation process will inform the review’s recommendations to
the Government.
“The Marshall Liberal Government is committed to all school students having fair access to school
buses in regional areas,” said Education Minister John Gardner.
“We want this review of bus services to inform the best mechanism for this, as regional students
should have reasonable access to transport as they do in the city.

“This consultation will allow the public to have a say in ensuring consistent school transport for all
regional students.

“I encourage anyone affected by or with an interest in how our school bus services are run to
contribute to the conversation.”

The consultation is open until Friday 15 February at yoursay.sa.gov.au.

Media Contact: Todd Clappis 0466 091 486