INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA World Class Citizens ~ Lifelong Learners School Bus Information ISS is pleased to offer our students the opportunity to travel to and from school on buses operated for ISS students only. We recognise that the school buses provide a valuable service for many families. We are also aware of the positive impact the bus service has on reducing the school s overall environmental footprint, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle traffic congestion. As we can all appreciate, however, responsibility for getting to and from International School Suva ultimately rests with the parents or guardians. ISS is under no obligation to provide a school bus service. Did you know? Over 40% of students at ISS use the school buses on daily basis, to travel to and from school. Another 20% of students use the bus a few times a week. Without the ISS buses, over 100 additional cars would be travelling to and from school each day. This would add at least another 400,000 kms of car use each year to Suva s roads. How are the routes designed? ISS bus routes are planned around the following principles: - minimising overall journey time - using main roads whenever possible (because they re faster and safer for bus traffic) - picking up & dropping off at formal bus stops wherever possible (for safety reasons) - minimising bus reversing and turning (it is dangerous) - cost efficiency Data on the performance of the buses is now collected on a regular basis (overall journey time, arrival times, and passenger usage). In addition, we now use what we know about where students live to build an electronic map (a GIS). This allows us to make sure the buses meet the needs of as many students as possible. Who operates the bus services? ISS plans the bus routes and Dee Cee s operates the service for us. Updated June 18 2015 1
Our Service Commitment For planning & assessing the ISS bus routes, we will be guided by the following service charter: - Overall bus route journey time no more than 45 minutes on average - Bus routes planned to ensure buses run towards (or in the afternoon, away from) the school - Buses start morning run to school at 07.00 - ISS will do our best to ensure a regular departure time from school (we cannot, however, guarantee arrival times at the destination point) - Every student has a seat on the bus (60 seats per bus) The routes will be subject to regular review and changes will be considered if: - buses become overloaded on a regular basis; - buses are consistently under-loaded; or - a more efficient routing is identified which will be of benefit to most passengers. What are the bus routes? There are currently six (6) ISS bus routes which serve different areas of Suva. Bus Area served 1 Lami (via Princess Road) 2 Tamavua, Wailoku 3 Namadi Heights, Bayview Heights 4 Nasese/Muanikau & Suva Point 5 Domain & Flagstaff 6 City & Toorak Maps of the routes can be found on the main ISS bus webpage. Details of the routes travelled can be found at the end of this document. Updated June 18 2015 2
Where will the buses pick up? There will be no change to the current practice with bus pick up and drop off points. Dee Cees will pick up ISS students (identifiable by their uniform) at established LTA bus stops. They will also pick up at other locations along the route, where it is considered safe to do so. ISS parents & students have, to date, been very efficient in creating informal bus stops where there are no established ones, students congregating together to wait for the bus rather than expecting the bus to pick up multiple times in a short distance. So long as this continues, we can continue to operate an efficient service. It is worth noting that it is standard practice with any bus service to spread stops reasonably far apart in order to decrease the number of stops each bus will make on its route to minimise riding time for the students. Tickets All students need a valid ticket to use the bus. Full-term (both way) bus passes are available, as are term passes for AM travel only and term passes for PM travel only. Also available are single use/single-trip tickets which must be surrendered on arrival at school or on departure from school. Full details are on the main ISS bus webpage. How are the fares set? Fare levels are set in order to recover the actual cost of operating the service. ISS does not make any profit from the school bus service. ISS reserves the right to adjust the bus fares up or down at any time, but will give ample warning of any changes. Safety Please remember that it is the responsibility of parents/care givers to ensure the safety of students getting to and from the bus and whilst at the bus stop. All younger children (Discovery, ECH 1, ECH 2, Reception) should be met at the bus stop by a responsible adult or accompanied by an older sibling (secondary school). If there is no-one to meet them when the bus arrives, the driver will deliver them back to school on the school bus. Parents/caregivers will be informed and requested to come to school to collect their child/children. Dee Cees reserves the right to pass the cost of this on to the school; ISS reserve the right to pass this cost onto the particular parent/care giver involved. Updated June 18 2015 3
We know that some roads in Suva do not have designated safe pedestrian crossing points. Where we are aware of a particular issue affecting ISS students, we will put a detailed case to the relevant authorities requesting urgent consideration of pedestrian crossing point. Bus Etiquette Please advise the students in your care to respect their bus driver, as well as any instructions given by him or by ISS members of staff on the bus. If there are any issues, please direct them to the ISS contacts below. It is common courtesy when using the buses to observe the following: - don t eat or drink on the bus - put bags on laps or the floor (not on spare seats) - move over to allow all seats to be occupied - let younger children sit at the front of the bus (but not the front row) Your Feedback We welcome your feedback. We want the ISS buses to work well, and to meet the needs of as many students as possible. So please do get in touch if you have any suggestions, concerns or complaints. Lorna Evening-Rafoi (Primary School office) - levening@international.school.fj Updated June 18 2015 4
June 2015 changes to ISS bus routes Bus 1 Now routed up Princes Road & along Mead Road to school, currently includes a temporary diversion from Princes Rd down Votua Road. Bus 2 Now starts at LDS College, Tamavua, then heads down Princes Road to Wailoku. Then routes directly down Mead Road to school, avoiding the previous diversion down Princes Road. Bus 3 Bus 4 No change to this route. Now routed via Suva Point, expected to be quite full when it reaches school and passenger numbers will be closely monitored. Bus 5 Will now start on Denison Road, will still serve Flagstaff but will not visit Suva Point. On return trip will travel in the same direction down Domain Road & Richards Road. Bus 6 Minor changes to the beginning of the route only, will now start on Bau Street, travel down Pender Street & turn onto Knollys Street and continuing onto Holland Street. Aquatic Centre Mornings: bus 4 will stop at the Aquatic Centre Afternoons: bus 4 and bus 5 will stop at the Aquatic Centre Updated June 18 2015 5
SCHOOL BUS ROUTES - 2015 MORNING AND AFTERNOON BUSES Bus 1 Lami, Princes Rd Bus 2 Tamavua Heights, Wailoku Bus 3 Namadi Heights, Bayview Heights Bus 4 Nasese/Muanikau, Suva Point Bus 5 Domain, Flagstaff Bus 6 City, Toorak * Pick-up point at 7am * Pick-up point at 7am * Pick-up point at 7am * Pick-up point at 7am * Pick-up point at 7am * Pick-up point at 7am *Uduya Point * LDS College *Upper Ragg Avenue *Rt Sukuna Rd (sea end) * Denison Road (by Clarke Street) *Bau Street (by Carew Street) Queen s Road Matanikutu Rd Lower Ragg Avenue Charlton Ave Domain Rd Macgregor Road Naimawi St Naivurevure Rd Vunakece Rd Queen Elizabeth Drive Richards Road Pender Street Waimate St Rokuboulevu Rd Pathik Crescent Vuya Rd Service Street Knollys Street Waivote St Princes Rd Vunakece Rd Rt Sukuna Rd Ratu Sukuna Rd Holland St Qauia St Wailoku Rd Padam Lala Rd Marou Rd Laucala Bay Road Amy St Naimawi St Naranji Street Salato Rd/Salala Rd Muanikau Rd Rewa St Toorak Rd Nakula St Qomati St Vunakece Rd Queen Elizabeth Drive Nailuva Rd Augustus St / Brown St Solomoni St Princes Rd Mead Road Laucala Bay Road Varani St Waimanu Rd Queen s Rd Mead Rd Sawau Street Beach Road Laucala Bay Rd Borron Rd Walu Bay ISS Paul Sloan Street Statham Street Aquatic Centre Rewa Street Edinburgh Drive Mead Rd Fletcher Road Fletcher Rd Belo St / Kula St Princes Rd ISS ISS ISS Gaji Rd/Karsanji St Votua Rd Return trip via Aquatic Centre Return trip: Service Rd - Duncan Fletcher Rd Rd - Domain Rd - Richards Rd Denison Rd Lakeba St Princes Road Mead Road ISS Return trip via Reservoir Rd ISS Updated June 18 2015 6