Why doesn Australian schools provide yellow schools buses?
Australia uses a combination of private/public school buses and the public transport system in each state. Sometimes the public transport system uses regular public buses with “school bus” showing where the route number normally shows. Schools also make use of private bus services chartered as school buses. Students may also be issued with student concession cards for use on the public transport systems (buses, trains, ferries). Yellow buses are a north American custom. Australia is a commonwealth country and does not have that tradition. Sydney has an extensive bus and rail network. CityRail operates the Sydney rail network, check with them for stations near your area (link below). Sydney has several public transport bus companies that cover the Sydney metro area. You should get your parents to check with the school for which bus services cover their area. They might also have their own bus service if they are a private school.
Some private schools have their own buses, but they are not yellow. Also, some private bus companies have buses that travel on the normal routes that are specifically for school students. When I was in Secondary College (Victorian High School) the bus that I caught when I did catch one was on the normal public transport route but reserved for concession holders.
Australia definitely has school buses. I should know – during my 8 years prior to boarding school, I was a bus kid. My brother still goes on one. Ofcourse, we were rural kids, but the townies used them too. Where I’m at now has tons of buses. What might confuse you is that the overwhelming majority of school buses in Australia are white. Not yellow. http://www.sydneybuses.info/schools.htm This site should aid you in finding a way to school, and also learning about bus passes which, as a country kid, I never used, but in general, are quite common these days.
