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.

Help steer the future of Mercury Baypark Stadium

The community is invited to have its say on the future of Mercury Baypark Stadium and whether it supports the continuation of speedway activity on the site, with public consultation now underway.

Under current agreements, Speedway is set to operate at Mercury Baypark until 2029. Tauranga City Council is now considering a proposal that would extend Speedway operations until 2039 — and is seeking feedback on whether the community supports this direction.

The proposal would see Speedway Racing Ltd purchase the North Stand (15,600 seats) for $1 and be responsible for its maintenance, while leasing the land from Council through Bay Venues Ltd. Council would retain ownership of the land, and the North Stand would be returned to Council at the end of the lease in 2039 for $1.

Tauranga City Councillor Kevin Schuler says before any decisions about the proposal are made, the Council wants to understand how the community’s views Mercury Baypark Stadium and speedway operations.

“This consultation is about testing the community’s support for the proposal and weighing up what Mercury Baypark Stadium’s future should look like for the next decade,” says Kevin.

“The proposal provides a way for Speedway to continue operating without placing immediate costs on ratepayers. However, if there’s not strong community support for this approach, we’ll explore alternative options for the site beyond 2029.”

Kevin says Mercury Baypark has hosted Speedway events for more than two decades, but the North Stand is in poor condition and requires investment to remain operational. It is used almost exclusively for Speedway events, around 15 times a year.

“If Speedway continues until 2039, it would be under new arrangements that shift the immediate cost and responsibility for maintaining the stand to Speedway Racing Ltd.

“If not, there are potential opportunities to reimagine the site for future recreational or commercial uses that could serve the wider community from 2029.”

Consultation is open from 5pm Monday, 26 May 2025 and closes 5pm Monday 23 June 2025.

Community consultation drop-in sessions will be held at Mercury Baypark Arena Suites, where residents can meet with Councillors and learn more about the options:

Monday, 9 June, 5:30pm–7:30pm
Saturday, 14 June, 10:00 am –12:00 pm

To learn more and share your views, visit letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/baypark

Posted: May 27, 2025,