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.

Spring spruce up: City Operations gears up for growth season

Tauranga is looking fresh this spring thanks to the green-thumbed efforts of Tauranga City Council’s City Operations team and their maintenance work.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Bethlehem Ward Councillor Kevin (Herb) Schuler joined the City Operations team last week for a behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into maintaining Tauranga’s green spaces and public areas as we head into summer.

“It was fantastic to see first-hand the streamlined approach that the City Operations team are taking to work efficiently, make our city look great and deliver positive outcomes for the people of Tauranga,” says Mahé.

Since July 2025, City Operations has taken full responsibility for sports field maintenance, roadside mowing, public toilet cleaning, and traffic management. This alignment has enabled the team to streamline traffic management setups, minimise commuter disruption, and increase efficiency across services.

“By integrating traffic management with maintenance crews, I can see the team is able to respond quickly and efficiently — delivering a higher level of service than before, at the same or lower cost to ratepayers,” explains Mahé.

In Tauranga, there is 5.64 million m² of grass (including sports fields), 4 million m² of vegetation, wetlands and dunes, and 285,000 m² of gardens and hedges looked after and maintained by the City Operations team.

Several proactive changes have been made by the team to stay ahead of spring growth:

roadside mowing now includes a new high-profile route on a two-weekly rotation
reserve mowing rounds have increased to a two-weekly schedule
a robot mower is being activated at Bayfair Reserve
edging has been completed early to allow more focus on mowing
garden beds have been mulched throughout winter to suppress weeds
high-profile natural vegetation areas and walkway tracks are being prioritised.

“These changes reflect a smarter, more responsive approach to city maintenance,” says Mahé.

“It’s also clear to see that the City Operations team feel a strong sense of pride and ownership in the work they do. Their passion translates into better service delivery and connection with our city and people."

Image caption

Mayor Mahé Drysdale joined the City Operations team to see how Tauranga’s green spaces are maintained.

Posted: Oct 10, 2025,