School drop-offs and pick-ups for students at Pyes Pa School are now much safer.

As children return to the classroom this week, Pyes Pa School is celebrating the completion of its new parking facility.

The $805,000 facility, co-funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Ministry of Education, includes a dedicated bus stop and drop-off/pick-up zone, a turn-around facility, visitor parking and time-restricted parking. It also includes a pedestrian crossing, safety barriers, new footpaths and widening of the road shoulder.

Pyes Pa School Board Chair Matt Jackson says the facility is a welcome improvement for the school and the wider Pyes Pa community.

'For quite some years the traffic on Pyes Pa Road between Rotorua and Tauranga has continued to increase, with this has come an increased safety risk for our pick-up and drop-off times.

'We've seen an increase in accidents in front of the school during the last two years, which has been very concerning.”

The school has been working with Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Education to find a solution for the increasing safety risk, says Matt.

'It's fantastic to see the project in action this week. Our students are now able to be picked up and dropped off safely within the school grounds.”

Waka Kotahi Acting Portfolio Delivery Manager Jo Wilton says improving safety outside schools is a priority.

'The new parking facility provides a much safer environment not only for the school community but for all road users who travel this road.

'Combined with the temporary speed limit signs installed outside the school in 2013, this upgrade will make a huge difference to the safety of Pyes Pa School students.”

Head of the Ministry's Education Infrastructure Service, Kim Shannon, says 'I'm delighted we were able to deliver so successfully on the new parking facility working in partnership with Waka Kotahi and the Pyes Pa School Board.

'Well done to everyone involved.”

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