With the new academic year starting next week, parents’ transport schedules will be taking on the regular frenzy of dropping off and picking up their children at school. Parents of learners who make use of the GO GEORGE bus service to get to school are encouraged to help their children get equipped in time.
It is important to get a GO GEORGE Smart Card and load enough trips before schools start, and not to wait until they have no trips left before topping up again. The Smart Card should be treated with the same care as any bank card or cash; if it gets lost, trips on the card cannot be refunded or transferred to a new card.
School route maps
Due to Covid safety precautions, GO GEORGE communication champions may not be able to visit all schools as usual at the beginning of the school year. They will, however, be present at the bus stops near high schools during the first few weeks of the school term to hand out route maps and inform learners about the different routes to school. Unique maps depicting the different options available to school and back home have been created for each school and were delivered to most primary schools at the end of last year to be handed out to Grade 7 learners in preparation of going to high school and knowing their way on the bus. These maps can also be downloaded from the GO GEORGE website by visiting the School Routes page.
Learners are advised to discuss the best boarding time and transfers with the champions, and the best routes to use to avoid full buses during peak time – in most cases, there will be different options to choose from. Champions will also remind learners about important Covid-19 safety regulations such as wearing a mask through the entire bus trip, keeping the windows open and using the hand sanitiser supplied on the buses.
To request an on-site visit and direct engagement from GO GEORGE, schools are welcome to phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044 or send an email to info@gogeorge.org.za.