Transport Entitlement Zones (TEZs)
If a student is eligible for school transport assistance, he or she will have an entitlement. An entitlement changes depending on where a student lives and where they go to school. Factsheets on eligibility and entitlement are available from the School Transport Factsheets page.
What is a Transport Entitlement Zone (TEZ)?
A Transport Entitlement Zone (TEZ) is the area in which a student can access their Ministry-funded transport entitlement to a school. As TEZs are a zone centred on a school and based on the halfway points between schools they also establish the nearest school for a student.
Transport Entitlement Zone (TEZ) maps are drawn based on the halfway points between schools of the same type that offer the same year level education.
A school can have more than one TEZ depending on its type and the schools that are its nearest neighbours. For example, a full primary school (year 1 to 8) may have one TEZ for year 1 to 6 students and one for year 7 and 8 students.
What are TEZs for?
The main function of TEZs is to establish the nearest school for a student and to assist in the design of efficient bus routes. TEZs also play a role in Directly Resourced (DR) school transport by designating the area in which a DR school or network can operate its own bus routes unless that school has the permission of another to pick up students in its TEZ.
Does a student have to live within a school’s TEZ to attend that school?
No, provided the school a student wishes to attend does not have any restrictions on enrolment (eg an enrolment scheme) they can attend that school. If a student is eligible for school transport assistance they will receive school transport assistance within the TEZ of the school attended.
What is the difference between eligibility and entitlement?
TEZs establish the area within which students can receive their school transport assistance entitlement to a particular school. However, to be eligible to receive assistance a student must live further than 3.2 kilometres (if under 10) or 4.8 kilometres (if 10 or over) from their nearest appropriate school.
Eligible students are entitled to transport assistance within the TEZ of the school they attend regardless of whether or not that school is their nearest appropriate school. More information on eligibility and entitlement can be found in Factsheets 1 and 2 on the School transport factsheets page.
Why does the actual bus route for my school cross into another school’s TEZ?
The mechanical way that TEZ maps are produced means that, from time to time, while a map is accurate, it will not reflect the way school transport is actually provided in an area. This can be related to practical considerations such as the geography of a region or the limitations of the road network, or due to the fact that most bus routes service more than one school and therefore must travel in more than one zone.
Can TEZ’s be changed?
TEZs are established in relation to other schools, so when a TEZ boundary is shifted, more than one school is affected. For a school-initiated TEZ change request to be successful, the agreement of the school that is giving part of its TEZ to the other is required. The agreement of the local and national offices of the Ministry of Education is also required.
It should be noted that generally when there are other options available, these will be preferred to a TEZ change.
What is a paid route extension?
A paid extension to a bus route is a change to that route which may be funded by caregivers or a school itself. Paid route extensions to Ministry-contracted services must be approved by a Ministry service agent.
Extensions to Directly Resourced (DR) services can occur, although because of the relative freedom a DR school has to run its own bus route, they are less likely. A paid extension to a bus route cannot extend into the TEZ of another school to pick-up or drop-off students without the permission of the other school.
What are the rules for fare paying passengers?
Fare paying passengers can be picked-up along a route provided eligible students are not disadvantaged. In the case of Ministry-contracted services, a fare paying passenger may only utilise any existing service – ie the Ministry-designed bus route will not be changed to accommodate him or her and passengers make arrangements with and pay operators directly.
In DR, passengers wishing to utilise services for a fee pay the DR school or network. Fare paying students can only be provided transport within the TEZ of the school they are attending unless of course there is agreement from affected schools for this to happen.
What is the relationship between the home zone of an enrolment scheme and a TEZ?
TEZs and home zones are different. When a TEZ is first drawn up it is based on the midpoints along all routes between schools of the same type. TEZs are objective and are designed to ensure that transport is provided in an efficient and fair way. It is supposed to facilitate access to a local school for a student and to support the network of schools in an area.
Home zones, on the other hand, are designed by schools themselves in consultation with their community and neighbouring schools. Home zones are designed to ensure that children will have access to their local school rather than having to travel to access education.
Why are the home zone and TEZ for my school different?
Because of their different functions, often home zones and TEZs will be different shapes and sizes. This is not to say that they cannot be the same. The Ministry deals with the issues that arise from conflicts between TEZs and home zones on a case by case basis.
Who can I talk to about TEZs?
The Ministry of Education’s school transport service agents work to ensure that school transport is provided in a fair, efficient and consistent way within current policy. Service agents deal directly with schools and are available to answer questions from principals and board members about TEZs, or transport policy in general. A list of local service agents can be found on the School Transport contact details web page.