In today’s Exploring Wellington, we will introduce our caring and safe school bus service. 

How many routes are there for Wellington school buses? Are they friendly to pupils from other districts in Hangzhou?

At the end of June each year, the school services team make a route plan based on the locations of newly enrolled and existing bus pupils, which is then submitted to the traffic bureau of the relevant district and Xiaoshan Education Bureau for approval. In the 2022-23 academic year, we operated 25 bus routes covering approximately 80 stops throughout Hangzhou, encompassing most living areas of Hangzhou including Xiaoshan, Binjiang, Qianjiang New City, Chengxi, Xiasha, Wushan, Zhuantang, etc. Please find below route maps for your reference.  

What makes Wellington buses special?

The answer to this question lies with our Big-yellow-bus show. It is a radio show produced by DukeBox, our school radio station, specifically for pupils taking the school bus. Every day, our pupils can listen to elegant music, or school news recorded by Wellington pupils in both Chinese and English.

Click here and listen to the wonderful Big-yellow-bus show at 6–7 am.

Why are Wellington buses yellow? Is there any specific meaning to this design?

The term “School bus yellow”  describes a colour that was specifically formulated for use on school buses in North America in 1939. The colour is now officially known in the US as National School Bus Glossy Yellow. According to scientists, "lateral peripheral vision for detecting yellows is 1.24 times greater than for red", which means yellow gets one’s attention faster than any other colour, and that colours such as yellow or greenish yellow are more visible to the human eye under dimmer conditions compared to red. For instance, on a foggy or rainy day, drivers are able to see yellow cars fairly well. Not only are school buses yellow, but also many earth-moving, road-building and other outdoor machines are yellow for safety reasons.

How is safety guaranteed for Wellington pupils taking the school buses?

At Wellington, we have chosen a motor corporation partner with a complete passenger service license to provide school bus services. All school buses have bus licenses issued by the appropriate local authorities and all bus drivers hold their corresponding driving licenses. High standards and performance parameters mean that our school buses have passed all such inspections. Regular tests and maintenance ensure that our school buses meet the requirements and expectations of both the government and our school community.

Vehicle design

For safety, our buses adopt a 360˚ non-blind area design, equipped with electric rear-view mirrors, front blind-spot mirrors and reversing camera systems. This means that our drivers can fully observe their surroundings when driving and parking. Each school bus also has a black box installed. It monitors real-time driving situations and conditions inside and outside the bus from multiple angles.

Drive safely

Our school bus follows rigorous traffic safety procedures and operates at a maximum speed of 60km/h to ensure a safe commute for pupils.

Personnel allocation and training

We have 24- and 43-seater buses, supervised by one or two bus monitors responsible for pupils’ safety and wellbeing during the journey and management of pupils’ behaviour as well. The school bus service also focuses on training drivers and monitors to strengthen their safety awareness, preparedness for emergencies and standard operations.

Health monitoring

Our school nurses conduct professional training for monitors regularly, including daily disinfection, first aid, wound care, special disinfection during an outbreak of infectious diseases and using ear thermometers, so they are qualified for tackling various emergencies on the bus.

Intelligent Supervision

The school bus service team examines all the buses on a regular basis and reads every bus report, to make sure that all buses are maintained under optimal running conditions. 

Bus evacuation drill

At Wellington College Education (China) - Hangzhou, we organise an evacuation drill for pupils every semester. We want to ensure that our pupils are informed of all necessary skills and stay composed in case there is an emergency. Our drills aim to achieve the following goals. 

• Stay calm and listen to the instructions of the driver and the monitors. 
• Stay organised without pushing others or panicking and have a good sense of direction.
• Evacuate in order, learn to protect oneself and help others in need. 

Parent and school communication 

We keep regular contact with the parents and value their feedback to improve our school bus service and avoid any potential accidents or unwelcome incidents. Cooperation between parents and the school, together with the school bus service operators, plays an indispensable part in creating a safe and pleasant school bus experience for all pupils. We welcome any suggestions from parents and pupils and hope to continually promote a positive relationship between pupils and bus staff. We are committed to optimising the school bus service and to enhancing pupils’ riding experience. 

Snowflakes have brought wintery romance as winter deepens, even our school buses have dressed up. There was also a surprise from the school bus service team. The monitors prepared each pupil their handwritten “Happy New Year” card and a surprise stationery box, spreading blessings and best wishes to the children in advance. What a caring and loving gift! 

If you would like your children to experience the safe and caring school bus service delivered by Wellington College International Hangzhou, don’t hesitate to register for a campus tour.