NORTH Shore residents, worried about the safety of their children, are renewing their campaign for a school bus service.
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More than 50 children have to walk on to ferries to catch their school buses waiting on the southern side of the Hastings River.
Some parents drive their children to school to avoid the potential safety problem.
Jennifer Labone drops her sons Daniel, 9, and Christopher, 7, at the Hibbard ferry every school morning and collects them in the afternoon.
“The situation of being a pedestrian at any age, but particularly school age ... it’s a little bit dicey getting on and off the ferry,” she said.
Mrs Labone said children were “dodging and weaving” among the traffic to get on and off the Hibbard ferry, from a narrow strip of road at Riverside Dve. Other children travelled about 5km from Maria River Rd to the Settlement Point ferry.
Mrs Labone said a school bus to pick up children at their door would be the “ultimate in safety”.
North Side Progress Association president Bob Todd said his group approached Port Macquarie MP Rob Oakeshott about 12 months ago to secure a school bus service.
Mr Todd said it was dangerous for children to wander among cars on the Hibbard ferry but the new Settlement Point ferry should overcome problems with bus access.
Mr Todd wants North Shore families to have equality with their counterparts on the town side of the river.
“We pay the same rates so there is no reason why we should not be treated the same and have the same facilities, and one is the bus,” he said.
A Busways spokesman said a North Shore service was not on the drawing board but the company would look at a proposal from the community.
The progress association will submit a plan to Busways and raise the issue at a meeting with Mr Oakeshott next month. The MP confirmed his office had spoken to Busways and the North Side Progress Association.
Mr Oakeshott said he understood there were issues with getting a full-sized bus on the ferries due to the incline at the ramp entry and exit points and a mini-bus would be required.
“I am further advised by Busways that any request for a change to the current service would need to be made in writing to Busways and this information has been relayed to the progress association.
