Two hundred and seventy primary school children who travel to school on buses are now wearing bright new hi-vis vests, thanks to a road safety alliance between Council and its roading maintenance contractor HEB.

The vests, for students from 5 to 13 years, were delivered this week, as schools started term three - when some are getting on and off in challenging winter light conditions.

CE Hamish Riach said the reflective material helped make the students more visible to other road users when they were heading to their bus stops or waiting to be picked up.

“Children can act spontaneously, so being as visible as possible is important. Drivers also need to be cautious around school buses, especially when they are stationary and letting students on and off.”

By law, motorists must reduce their speed to 20kph when passing a bus that has stopped, and is displaying a school sign.

The “either way, it’s 20k” rule was a message reinforced by Council’s road safety team at the South Island Agricultural Fieldays, to raise driver awareness of the speed limit in either direction and the need to slow down to keep children safe.

New vests were delivered to Chertsey School, Carew/Peel Forest School, Dorie School, Hinds School and Mayfield School. Council and HEB are splitting the $4200 cost evenly.