Haumarutanga rori - pakeke

Road safety - adults

The Travel Safe team work in the community to reduce accidents and improve road safety.

Young Driver Workshop

Free young driver workshops are aimed at road users aged between 16 and 24, who hold a current learner or restricted driver licence. Participants will leave with improved knowledge, confidence, and skills.

Each workshop includes:

A 60-minute one-on-one driving lesson with a certified instructor
Waka Kotahi NZTA roadworthy vehicle check (what to check to ensure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy)
Driver behaviour awareness (speed, impairment, restraints, distraction, and fatigue
Awareness session on sharing the road with heavy vehicles

Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to attend but it’s not compulsory. The four-hour workshops are held during school term holidays, usually between 9am and 1pm.

Drive has everything you need to prepare for your learner, restricted and full licence tests.

Visit the Drive website

Young driver workshop

Car Restraints

Looking for support around car seat restraints? Contact one of our local car seat technicians at travelsafeschools@tauranga.govt.nz. We offer free car seat installations, checks, and will help answer any questions or concerns regarding your car restraint.

Carseat installation

Parking behaviour

Drop off and pick up are busy times that pose a safety risk at the school gate. Travel Safe help schools to communicate things like parking time limits, drop off and pick up zones, parking over the kerb and other safety risks at the school gate. We deliver an in-school parking and safety programme named Peaceful Parker, and partner with council parking officers to do school visits when requested by schools or the community.

Blindzone Workshops

Blindzone workshops allow people to see the world from a truck driver’s point of view. Through a series of practical scenarios, participants will learn where to place themselves so they are visible to truck drivers and will leave with more awareness and confidence on the road.

For more on Blindzone and cycling around heavy vehicles visit Share the Road.

Blindzone workshop

Be Bright, Be Safe, Be Seen

This winter visibility programme reminds cyclists, walkers, runners, and scooter riders to have lights, bright clothing, and reflective gear if they are out and about during early mornings, evenings, and at other times of low light and poor visibility.

Whether commuting to work or school, being active for fun or fitness, or popping down to the local shops, people should take extra care and keep safe by being fully visible on roads and paths.

All cyclists are encouraged to wear high-visibility clothing and ensure their front light, rear light and rear red reflector are all working correctly and are clean.

View the official New Zealand code for cycling for more information.

City centre parking expands: More than 100 all-day spaces open next week

City centre workers will soon have more all-day parking options with the opening of 160-176 Devonport Road car park on Monday 2 September.

City centre workers will soon have more all-day parking options with the opening of 160-176 Devonport Road car park on Monday 2 September. With more than 100 all-day parking spaces and three accessibility bays, there is now significantly more parking in the city centre than there was in 2023.

Speaking about the opening of the new car park, General Manager: City Development and Partnerships, Gareth Wallis says we are continuously looking at ways we can improve people’s experience when coming into the city centre, and we know parking is a key part of that.

“We have made some significant changes to parking in the city centre over the last year with rate drops, free evening and weekend parking, lease structure changes to open up more spaces for everyone, parking building upgrades, and the opening of two off-street car parks (Dive Crescent and Devonport Road) – together equating to more than 250 spaces. This additional parking means we have more spaces in the city centre than we did in 2023, with even more coming soon.”

The Devonport Road off-street car park will have a maximum daily rate of $12.50 and payment is required through the PayMyPark app or the parking machines. Like all city centre parking, the Devonport Road car park will be free after 5pm on weekdays and free all weekend.

If you’re looking to switch up your spring commute for two wheels instead of four, there is also a new sheltered bike stand which can hold up to 24 bikes. The bike shelter has been repurposed from the Masonic Park bus stop and features the ‘Midnight Sun’ masterpiece by local artist, Sara Hughes.

“Throughout the transformation of the city centre we are always looking at ways to repurpose materials and the Masonic Park bus shelter is a perfect example of this. The ‘Midnight Sun’ artwork by Sara Hughes really stands out in the Devonport Road car park and was a great way to provide bike shelter at a reduced cost”, says Gareth.

The Devonport Road car park is intended to be a temporary car park, for approximately five years, and follows the purchase of 160-176 Devonport Road last year. This land purchase was part of Tauranga City Council’s strategic property acquisition strategy to make land available for redevelopment over the next 10+ years. The buildings at 160-176 Devonport Road were unfit for long-term use, and with the building leases expiring, it was an opportunity for Council to help provide more parking options for city centre workers or those people coming in for the day.

Gareth Wallis says the long-term use of the site is yet to be determined, however in the short-term, it provides us with an opportunity to respond to local business requests for more all-day parking.

Parking building changes

Taking on board feedback from the community and local businesses, the parking buildings have also been undergoing some changes to help make them a more appealing place to park.

From 2 September 2024, the following parking buildings changes will come into effect:

No more barrier arms and no paper tickets.
New number plate recognition cameras will monitor the time you enter and exit the building.
New payment machines (like used on-street) will replace the old machines.
You will now be able to use the PayMyPark App for the parking buildings and all city centre parking.
More CCTV cameras.
Additional lighting.
New signs.

On top of these changes, the Spring Street car park building has a colourful new look with additional lighting, making it an ideal place to park at night if you are heading to Baycourt for a show or popping into the city for a bite to eat.

“The city centre transformation is progressing at pace and providing parking options is a key part of that. We are making changes now to showcase the range of parking options available in the city, all just a short walk away from your favourite bars and eateries. Don’t take our word for it, come and check it out for yourself”, says Gareth.”