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Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.     
  
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[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora Liam

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before 12 May 2026. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

The Ministry may publicly release on our website the response to your request five days after you have received it. Any personal information will be removed.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address]

Ngā mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education | TW
education.govt.nz

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes
He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Liam,

 

Thank you for your email of 13 April 2026 to the Ministry of Education
(the Ministry) requesting the following information relating to the school
bus transport contract awarded to Go Bus Transport Ltd in the
Manawatū–Whanganui region:

 

Contract Details

1.                  A copy of the contract or tender agreement between the
Ministry of Education and Go Bus Transport Ltd for the provision of school
transport services in the Manawatū–Whanganui region, including the
contract term, total contract value, and annual payments.

2.                  The date on which Go Bus commenced services under this
contract, and the scheduled expiry date.

3.                  The total annual sum payable to Go Bus under the
contract for each year of the contract term.

Service Reductions

4.                  A list of all school bus routes in the
Manawatū–Whanganui region that have been discontinued, reduced, or
modified since Go Bus assumed the contract, including the date each change
took effect.

5.                  The number of students affected by each route change
identified in response to question 4.

6.                  The total number of students in the Manawatū–Whanganui
region who were eligible for and receiving Ministry-funded school
transport in the final year of the previous provider’s contract
(Uzabus/Madge Coachlines), compared with the number currently eligible and
receiving Ministry-funded transport under Go Bus.

Financial Impact

7.                  The estimated cost savings, if any, realised by Go Bus
as a result of the route reductions and discontinued services identified
in response to question 4.

8.                  Whether the Ministry has adjusted (increased or
decreased) the payments made to Go Bus following any route reductions or
service changes. If so, please provide details of each adjustment, the
date it took effect, and the financial value.

9.                  If no adjustment has been made, please confirm whether
Go Bus continues to receive the full contract sum originally tendered,
notwithstanding the reduction in services.

Eligibility Policy

10.              Any internal policy documents, guidelines, or directives
issued to Ministry staff (including by or to James Meffan or members of
the school transport review team) regarding the interpretation or
application of the “nearest suitable school” eligibility criterion for
school bus entitlement.

11.              Any correspondence between the Ministry and Go Bus
regarding the transport of non-qualifying students on contracted school
bus services.

12.              Any records of the “cartwheel” or inter-school transfer
arrangement previously operated in Palmerston North, under which rural
students were collected and redistributed to their chosen schools, and any
Ministry decision or communication discontinuing this arrangement.

Previous Provider Comparison

13.              The total annual sum paid to Uzabus (or Madge Coachlines)
under the previous Ministry contract for the same region, for each of the
final three years of that contract.

14.              The total number of school bus routes operated under the
previous contract in its final year of operation, compared with the number
currently operated by Go Bus.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

 

Parts 10, 11 and 12 of your request, as currently worded, are very broad
in nature and scope/lack due particularity.

 

In the hope that we are able to reasonably identify the information you
are seeking, we are proposing that you refine/clarify the scope of parts
10, 11 and 12 of your request by specifying a timeframe for each part e.g.
2025 calendar year or from 1 January 2025 to the date of this request.

  

If you are willing to refine parts 10, 11 and 12 of your request, please
let us know how you would like to refine these by 24 April 2026.

 

I look forward to hearing from you. Once we have your
refinement/clarification, we will commence work on your request.

 

Please note that, in line with section 15 (1AA) of the Act, if refinement
or clarification of a request is sought within seven working days of the
date on which the request was received, the Ministry may treat the amended
or clarified request as a new request that replaces the original request
for the purposes of calculating the timeframe.

 

Nāku noa, nā,

 

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | TF

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2]Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

 

 

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Kia ora

 

Please see attached regarding your Official Information Act request.

 

Ngā mihi

 

 

Official and Parliamentary Information | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga |
Ministry of Education | KJ

 

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes

 

 

 

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Liam

 

Please find attached a response to your request under the Official
Information Act.

  

Nāku noa, nā,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | CM

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2]Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

 

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