Helping Wairarapa students stay safe and seen on rural roads

For students travelling on rural roads across the Wairarapa, a region in New Zealand’s lower North Island, visibility can make all the difference – especially during the darker winter months.

Through Kinetic’s 2025 Moving Communities Fund, the Wairarapa Road Safety Council (WRSC) has delivered 550 high-visibility vests to students who rely on school bus services, helping make them easier to see when boarding, disembarking, or walking near rural roads.

It’s a simple initiative with a meaningful impact, adding an extra layer of safety during the most vulnerable parts of a child’s journey to and from school.

Holly Hullena, Projects Coordinator at the Wairarapa Road Safety Council, says the initiative will make a real difference for local students and families.

“Visibility saves lives. On rural roads, vehicles travel at higher speeds and drivers may not expect children near the roadside. These high-visibility vests help ensure our tamariki are seen when it matters most.”

The Wairarapa Road Safety Council works closely with schools, families and the wider community to promote safer behaviours on and around the road network, with a focus on helping young people stay safe on their journeys to and from school.

Through Go Bus, we operate school bus services across Aotearoa and see every day how important those moments are, particularly on rural roads, where visibility can have a direct impact on safety.

This initiative was supported by our local Masterton team, who helped raise awareness of the Moving Communities Fund within the community.

Funding from the grant was used to produce the vests, which were delivered in partnership with Arrow Uniforms, helping ensure more students could benefit and maximising the impact of the funding.

Alongside funding the vests, we also supported WRSC with a back-to-school radio campaign reinforcing safety messages as students returned for Term 2, encouraging drivers to slow down, stay alert in lower light conditions, and take extra care around school buses and roadside activity.

Delivered through Kinetic’s media arrangements with MediaWorks, the campaign helped reach local audiences at scale.

This has also extended to another 2025 Moving Communities Fund recipient, Orange Sky, with a digital billboard campaign in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, helping raise awareness of their work supporting people experiencing homelessness across Aotearoa.

We’re glad to be able to play a small part in supporting initiatives like this, helping create safer journeys for students and stronger communities.