Students set to benefit from new routes in $11.75m bus project

The government is spending $11.75m to roll out new school buses to help keep up with the surge in student enrolments over the next three years.

Students will be able to travel more easily to class after the state government announced an increase in school bus services – commencing at the start of Term 1 in Adelaide’s eastern and southern suburbs.

Among students benefiting from the new school buses, announced by the state government on Wednesday and to be introduced on January 29, will be students from the new Morialta Secondary College and Aldinga Payinthi College.

In total 16 new Scania hybrid buses, at a cost of $11.75m will be purchased and progressively rolled out over the next three years, which will also support Riverbanks College.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the new buses would help “connect students to some of the state’s newest schools”.

“We are making it easier than ever before for South Australian students to get to and from school safely,” Mr Boyer said.

Sebastian, 13, Sienna, 13, Chloe, 13 and Isabella, 13, are looking forward to more buses to get them to school. Picture: Matt Loxton

Education, Training and Skills Minister Blair Boyer at the Morialta Secondary College Construction worksite. Picture: Emma Brasier

Two of the buses will provide Morialta Secondary College with a new dedicated route, with morning and evening services transferring students between Paradise Interchange and the school.

An additional two services will be introduced along the route in 2026 to keep up with an expected increase in enrolments.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the new bus project would be carried out by SA company BusTech which will “support local jobs and back the industry”.

Aldinga Payinthi College is set to receive an extra bus to transfer students between the school and Sellicks Beach which will increase to four services by 2026.

There are currently four routes connecting the school to Seaford, Willunga and Sellicks Beach.

The new bus for Riverbanks College at Angle Vale is set to start in 2025 which will transfer students to Smithfield and Munno Para Interchanges.

The extra buses will be implemented to better service the three recently opened schools, with the number of buses operating each day set to increase from six to 15 by 2026.