Extra bus shelters for rural schools

The Totalspan Undercover Kids Bus Shelter Programme has been so popular that the company is donating extra shelters to meet the high demand from rural schools throughout NZ.

Totalspan has established a charitable trust for the programme that is aimed at protecting our children as they wait for buses on rural school routes.

The programme had planned to provide 112 shelters valued at around $2000 each but the applications were so impressive that the company is now donating more taking the total to 120.

The company is aiming to provide another 150 next year and to keep increasing the number supplied in the years following.

Leon Skylakis from Totalspan says many parents and communities worry about children waiting by the side of the road for their bus.

“The Undercover Kids Programme is designed to reduce the risk to our children. Often ‘stops’ are no more than a slightly wider section of roadside with no protection from the weather. They are often the scenes of multiple vehicles pulling up to off load students who may liveseveral kilometres from the stop.”

A total of 209 schools submitted applications for bus shelters.

“The standard of the applications was extremely high and it made it very difficult to choose – so difficult that the company decided it just couldn’t say no to some and has decided to donate extra shelters this year,” says Leon Skylakis.

“It has clearly shown us that this programme is needed in the rural community. The support from our suppliers has been crucial to the programme going ahead and already being expanded. A huge thank you to NZ Steel, Allied Concrete, Duffill Watts, Australasian Agricultural Publishing – NZ Rural Press and PBT.

“The support for the initiative from key organisations such as the NZ Principals’ Federation, the NZSTA and Rural Women NZ has also been humbling.”

Government organisations and local councils have also been briefed as part of the process and Mr Skylakis says everyone and in particular the NZ Transport Agency (formerly Transit) have been extremely obliging in ensuring that the programme meets all the legal and regulatory requirements.

“Totalspan has a significant presence in the rural community, so it is good to be able to put something back into the community that supports us,” concluded Mr Skylakis.