7318 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister of Education

7318 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister of Education: Where students are no longer eligible for dedicated school bus services because a closer school falls within the eligibility distance, has the Ministry provided for those students to travel to that closer school and then walk to their current school of enrolment in cases where the schools are in close proximity?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised by the Ministry of Education that school transport providers can carry ineligible students at their discretion and may charge ineligible students a fare if they wish. Other transport options that schools and caregivers can explore, include the school funding their own school bus service, the school setting up a private charter ‘user pays’ school bus service, and investigating whether a local bus operator would consider running a commercial school bus service.