East Auckland to Epsom Girls School Bus

Formal Registration for Our Free Two-Week Trial

Kiwi Coaches is launching a new dedicated student bus service from The Gardens and East Auckland to Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Following a strong response from families across The Gardens, Flat Bush, Botany, Howick and the wider eastern suburbs, we are ready to put the proposed route on the road for a genuine two-week trial.

The service will operate completely free of charge during the final two weeks of Term 3. This will allow students and families to experience the service while Kiwi Coaches confirms passenger numbers, actual travel times, permanent pickup locations and the most sustainable long-term fare.

Formal registration is required for every student who wishes to travel during the trial.

Free Trial Dates

The trial is planned to operate from:

Monday 14 September to Friday 25 September 2026

The service will operate on normal Epsom Girls Grammar School days during this period.

There is no charge for students registered and accepted for the trial, and no obligation to purchase future travel.

Proposed Eastern Route

The proposed limited-stop route will begin in The Gardens and travel through East Auckland directly to Epsom Girls Grammar School.

The proposed route will serve:

  • The Gardens

  • Te Irirangi Drive and Chapel Downs

  • Botany

  • Howick

  • Epsom Girls Grammar School

View the proposed route:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dpYWrRH7n6Vaz31s5

The exact pickup points will be determined by registrations. If you live near the proposed route, or could reasonably meet the bus at a safe central pickup point, please register and provide your preferred location.

Final stops and departure times will be sent directly to registered families before the trial begins.

The route may be adjusted slightly to provide the best balance between accessibility, passenger demand, safe stopping locations and a reliable arrival at school.

A Safer, Simpler Journey to School

This service is being designed to give students from The Gardens and East Auckland a more direct and dependable journey to Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Students and families will benefit from:

  • Direct travel to and from Epsom Girls Grammar School

  • A private, student-focused school service

  • Limited and clearly identified pickup points

  • Professional, police-vetted and P-endorsed Kiwi Coaches drivers

  • Professionally maintained vehicles

  • Live vehicle GPS tracking

  • Student tag-on and tag-off records

  • Direct communication with parents and caregivers

  • Passenger attendance records

  • Backup vehicles and operational support

  • No need to rely on multiple public buses or transfers

Kiwi Coaches is a proudly New Zealand-owned company that has been moving Auckland students for more than 30 years. We operate daily school services throughout the region and understand the importance of safety, reliability and clear communication with families.

What Happens After the Free Trial?

Registration for the free trial does not require your family to purchase future travel.

At the end of the trial, Kiwi Coaches will review:

  • The number of students regularly using the service

  • Actual morning and afternoon travel times

  • Demand at each proposed pickup point

  • The best permanent route and stops

  • Vehicle and operating requirements

  • Feedback from students and families

  • The level of commitment for Term 4 and 2027

Families will receive the proposed permanent route, timetable and fare before deciding whether they wish to continue.

Term 4, 2026: Concession Travel

If the trial is successful and there is sufficient ongoing demand, we intend to continue the Eastern service during Term 4 using concession tickets.

This will allow families to pay as they go rather than immediately committing to a full term pass while the new route becomes established.

Details of the concession system and fare will be provided after the trial.

From 2027: Term Passes

Subject to sufficient ongoing demand, the Eastern service is intended to move to a term-pass model from the beginning of the 2027 school year.

The final price cannot be confirmed until the trial establishes how many students will regularly use the service and the actual cost of operating the route. The more families who support the service, the more widely the operating cost can be shared.

No family will be committed to paid travel until the fare has been announced and they have actively chosen to continue.

Register Your Student

Please complete one registration for each student who intends to travel during the free trial.

Submitting the form formally requests a place on the East Auckland–EGGS trial service. Places are subject to route confirmation, available capacity and acceptance of the trial conditions below.

Trial Conditions

Please read and confirm the following:

  • Registration is required before a student may use the trial service.

  • One registration must be completed for each student.

  • The free trial does not create an obligation to purchase future travel.

  • Registration requests a place but does not guarantee acceptance until Kiwi Coaches confirms the route, pickup point and available capacity.

  • Students must use their confirmed pickup and drop-off point unless Kiwi Coaches approves an alternative.

  • Students should arrive at their morning stop at least five minutes before the scheduled departure time.

  • The bus cannot be held for late passengers.

  • Parents and caregivers remain responsible for students before boarding and after leaving the vehicle.

  • Students must follow the driver’s instructions and behave safely and respectfully.

  • Kiwi Coaches may contact the registered parent or caregiver about the route, student travel, timetable changes and continuation of the service.

  • Pickup points and times may be adjusted during or after the trial where required for safety, reliability, travel time or passenger demand.

  • Paid Term 4 or 2027 travel will only begin after families have received the applicable price and separately confirmed that they wish to continue.

  • Kiwi Coaches may withdraw or modify the proposed service if registrations, actual passenger use or operating conditions do not support a viable route.

What Happens Next?

After submitting the form, you will receive further information from Kiwi Coaches confirming:

  • Whether your student has been allocated a place

  • The confirmed pickup point

  • Morning and afternoon departure times

  • Trial operating dates

  • Student travel procedures

  • Who to contact if the student will not be travelling

  • How families will receive service updates

Please do not send your student to a pickup point until Kiwi Coaches has formally confirmed their registration and travel arrangements.

Questions?

For questions about the East Auckland–EGGS service, contact:

Kiwi Coaches
Email: info@kiwicoaches.co.nz
Phone: 09 636 5232

Moving Auckland students safely for more than 30 years.