Busing to School

We encourage students to catch a bus to school on their first day.  If you are familiar with a bus stop close to your house where Lincoln High School students wait, then students should wait in this area.  However, if you are unsure, then the parent/caregiver can bring the student to school in the morning of their first day and then the student can then bus home. 

Bus drivers have been instructed to pick up any student in a Lincoln High School uniform. Drivers are also aware that all the students on the first day are new Year 9s and might be anxious about this.  As part of Year 9 students' orientation, they will be advised of their correct bus and taken to this bus at the end of the school day.  Where the bus drops them off after school on their first day will also dictate where they catch the bus the following morning.  Drivers will also be able to advise approximate pick-up times.  Students should arrive at their bus stop at least 5 minutes before pick up.  In the interests of all students, we expect a very high standard of behaviour on all buses.

 Responsibility of parents/caregivers

To ensure a safe environment for bus loading and unloading, caregivers should:

• Not park in bus bays
• Adhere to the speed limit (20km/h) while passing a stationary school bus on either side of the road
• Try to eliminate the need for students to cross the road
• Ensure that students get to and from the bus stop safely
• Advise students not to run across the road

 Ministry Eligibility for Bus Transport

The Ministry of Education provides transport assistance only for those students who can satisfy all the following criteria:

• Attend the nearest secondary school

• Live more than 4.8 km from Lincoln High School

• There must be no suitable public transport options (within 2.4km)

The Ministry operates all services for eligible students whose nearest school is Lincoln High School and determines the bus routes based on the location of homes.

 A route may be moved, shortened, or stopped if the Ministry establishes that the service is not viable anymore.  For example, there might not be enough students using the bus.  If a route is changed, a conveyance allowance may be paid to caregivers of eligible students.

For further information on School Transport, please click on this link:  Transport Eligibility

For important information on bus safety: Bus Safety Rules 2026

If you have any questions or queries around this process, please contact:

Craig Reynolds - Canterbury Regional Transport Advisor or Tel.03 378 7309

​Lincoln High School Ministry Funded Buses (current to 2026)

A list of the Ministry-funded buses & routes is available here:  Ministry Bus Routes 2026

Metro Bus Services

Metro Bus Ltd run a public school service (user pays) to and from Lincoln High School each day. These buses are for Lincoln High School students only.  These services are:

• Riccarton 691
• Hornby 692
• Springs Road 693

Details of these services are available Metro Bus Timetable.

Students are also able to access these services:

• 80 Lincoln – Parklands public bus  Timetable 
• 820 Burnham - Rolleston - Lincoln public buses Timetable

The Bus Co-ordinator at Lincoln High School helps manage and support the safe and smooth operation of our school bus services. They work with students, whānau, and bus providers to ensure routes run efficiently and that expectations for behaviour and safety are clear. The role helps make sure ākonga can travel to and from their kura reliably each day.