Haumarutanga rori - pakeke

Road safety - adults

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

Be Bright, Be Safe, Be Seen

Pick up a free reflective backpack cover this June

To help you stay visible on the roads this winter, free reflective backpack covers are now available from Tauranga City Council libraries – while stocks last.

These covers are a simple way to increase visibility on darker winter mornings and afternoons, especially for children travelling to and from school.

As the days get shorter and darker, it’s more important than ever to stay visible on our roads. Whether you’re walking, biking or scootering, being seen can make all the difference in keeping you safe.

Simple steps can help reduce the risk of crashes and ensure drivers can see you sooner.

How to stay visible:

Wear bright or reflective clothing
Use lights on bikes and scooters
Stay alert and aware around traffic

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

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

Tauranga Mayor selected for prestigious Harvard leadership programme

Mayor Mahé Drysdale is in New York this week to begin the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a prestigious international programme focussed on strengthening mayoral leadership and improving local government

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale is in New York this week to begin the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a prestigious international programme focused on strengthening mayoral leadership and improving local government performance.

Mayor Mahé is one of just 46 mayors from 15 countries selected for the nine-month programme, and one of only two New Zealand mayors in this year's cohort, alongside Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker. Attendance in the programme and all associated costs are fully funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The programme combines classroom learning, virtual sessions and project-based work focused on addressing real-world challenges facing participating cities.

"Tauranga is one of New Zealand's fastest-growing cities, and with that growth comes both opportunity and complexity. I'm looking forward to learning from world-leading experts and connecting with mayors tackling many of the same issues we face” says Mayor Mahé.

"A key focus for Tauranga is making better use of data, research and evidence to understand affordability barriers, future demographic trends, and what has worked elsewhere to create vibrant, thriving city centres.

Getting this right is about a combination of affordable living, reducing pressure on transport networks, slowing urban sprawl, strengthening our economy and improving quality of life for current and future residents."

Through the initiative, Mayor Mahé and senior Tauranga City Council officials will gain access to world-leading leadership development, practical management tools, and a global network of mayors and municipal leaders focused on delivering better outcomes for their communities.

"The programme will provide valuable insights, practical tools and fresh perspectives that can help us deliver for our community. It also gives Tauranga access to an international network of city leaders and innovators whose experiences can help inform our work at home," says Mayor Mahé.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to bring global best practice back to Tauranga as we continue building a city where people can live, learn, work and thrive."

As a participant, Mayor Mahé will also join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ broader Government Innovation network, providing ongoing access to the knowledge and experience of thousands of mayors and municipal officials worldwide.

More information on the programme

Posted: Jul 16, 2026,