BUS SERVICE
OUR COLLEGE
BUS SERVICE Hillcrest offers an extensive bus service for students travelling to and from our College each day. We have our own fleet of modern, air-conditioned buses which are all equipped with three-point seat belts and installed with event cameras for safety. Our bus routes travel South to Casuarina Beach in Northern NSW, West to the Gold Coast Hinterland, and North as far as Runaway Bay. We also provide trips to and from the Varsity Lakes Train Station.
BUS ROUTES We have seven bus routes which are listed below. Please visit www.hillcrest.qld.edu.au/college/services/bus-service-transport to view route maps which indicate major stops, as well as the approximate times for these stops. Each route has an AM and a PM map as they can be slightly different. Our routes are subject to some infrequent changes which will be communicated to parents. We have included emergency contact numbers for each bus route driver. For road safety, a text message is the best way to communicate with our drivers. BUS ROUTE 1 Chinderah, Tweed Heads West, Tugun, Palm Beach, Burleigh Heads Mobile emergency contact 0430857949 BUS ROUTE 2 Currumbin Waters, Elanora, Tallebudgera Mobile emergency contact 0417637853 BUS ROUTE 3 Tallai, Mudgeeraba, Bonogin, Observatory, Reedy Creek Mobile emergency contact 0417821402 BUS ROUTE 4 Clear Island Waters, Mermaid Beach, Miami, Varsity, Varsity Station Mobile emergency contact 0417637783 BUS ROUTE 5 Arundel, Southport, Ashmore, Bundall, Benowa, Carrara, Merrimac, Robina Town Centre Mobile emergency contact 0417637926 BUS ROUTE 6 Pacific Pines, Arundel, Nerang, Highland Park, Worongary, Mudgeeraba, Somerset, Reedy Creek Mobile emergency contact 0438164857 BUS ROUTE 7 Kingscliff Express Mobile emergency contact 0417107291
TRAVEL OPTIONS BUS PASSES Term passes offer great value for money. You can purchase either a one-way or return pass. A family pass allows all students in a family to travel at a discounted price. Even if your children do not need to travel on the bus every day, a term pass will often prove to be a great financial option. Once a bus reaches its term pass seat limit no more passes will be issued and a waiting list will start for the following term on that bus. Term passes are recorded electronically by our online payment platform. Students are not issued with a physical card. Prices for term passes: 1 child pass: $275.00 return (1 way pass $165.00, either AM or PM) Family pass: $475.00 return (1 way pass $260.00, either AM or PM) Term passes are calculated on an annual basis and divided by 4 terms, the same way tuition fees are calculated. The number of weeks in each term does not impact on the term bus charge. Bookings are made online, as outlined below. This is the only registration and payment option available. Please note, any payments made via any other means (e.g. direct deposit into our bank account, Payway, Bpay, etc.) will be automatically allocated to general school fees and cannot be reallocated. 10 TRIP FLEXI-CARD You can purchase a 10 trip Flexi-Card at a cost of $80.00. Each Flexi-Card allows a student 10 single one-way bus trips. Registration and payment is made the same way as buying a term pass described above. Once paid, a Flexi-Card will be issued and can be collected from the Main Reception the following day. Buses that reach their seating limit of Term Pass holders will be unable take Flexi-Card holding students. VARSITY STATION PASS Trips to and from the Varsity Lakes Train Station are available free of charge. AM Pickup – 1st bus arrives 7.55am. 2nd bus arrives 8.05am PM Drop off – Buses leave Chocolate Drive at 3.05pm. Please note, only spare seats on selected buses are available for complementary station drop off. * A Term or Flexipass must be purchased before travel can commence. Students without either will be sent to their community reception to contact parents or carers for collection. ** Lost Flexi-Cards cannot be replaced. Damaged Flexi-Cards can be returned to Accounts for replacing.
BOOKING BUS TRAVEL ONLINE BOOKING You can register your child for bus travel, select routes and pay securely by going to www.hillcrest.qld.edu.au/college/services/bus-service-transport and clicking on the BUS PASSES & APPLICATION FORM button to complete your registration and bus pass payment. Alternatively you may scan this code to direct you to the online registration form. Before registering and finalising payment for bus travel it is imperative that you read with your child the BUS USER CODE OF CONDUCT also located on our website or by scanning the QR code. NEW FAMILIES Once you have paid and submitted the application form one of our bus drivers will contact you regarding best pickup, drop off locations and times. EXISTING FAMILIES After completion and payment of the application form your child/ren will be marked as paid, and travel will continue as usual. Please note, you will be required to register your child for bus travel at the beginning of each term.
RollCall BUS MANAGMENT SYSTEM The College is committed to the safety of your child and has implemented the RollCall school bus management software to provide safety and awareness for parents, students and the College. For all students using the College bus service, The RollCall Parent Portal will allow you to manage several aspects of your children’s bus travel. Some of the functions of the App are: • Live mapping of the school bus, only when the bus is logged on. • Setting of notifications of your children’s movements on and off the bus. • Ability to notify driver of your child’s absenteeism. • Daily bus route and/or stop changes. • Set up and management of student secondary carers access to the App. STEPS FOR USING THE ROLLCALL APP Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Register your child/ren via the online form on the College portal Set up your RollCall password by clicking here or going to the RollCall Parent Portal. *Please remember your password as you will need to re-enter the Password in the Parent App. Download App • Go to Apple App store or Play Store. • Search for - RollCall Parent App; • Press Install/download App to install on your smart device. • You will come to the RollCall login screen - Key in the following: School: hillcrestcc (All lowercase letters) Email: Use the email on which you received this message; Password: The password that you created earlier
For additional help and information, you can view some video tutorials on how to use the RollCall App on the College’s website. Please scan the QR code on the left or visit the website.
ROLLCALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. My children have not used the bus in the past but now we would like to use a school bus, how can we be set up for RollCall? A. 1. Register for a bus and payments through the school website Payment Forms (nelnet.net) 2. A bus card will be printed for your child and you will receive a welcome email from RollCall to set up your account. If you do not receive an email, please send a request to buses@hillcrest.qld.edu.au Q. I’m having issues with the App – how do I get help? A. We recommend deleting the app and reinstalling or checking for updates. Access the informative tutorials on the website. If errors continue, please email buses@hillcrest.qld.edu.au with the details of your issue. Q. When will payments through RollCall begin? A. Hillcrest is aiming to transfer payments at the start of Term 4 or the start of 2022. Currently we are only using RollCall for tracking purposes. Q. What if my child loses their chip ID card? A. Your child can still board their bus without a card – drivers are able to manually enter students into the system. However, it is preferable for all students to have cards to make the tap on/tap off system more efficient.
To replace a card: send a card request with your child’s full name to buses@hillcrest.qld.edu.au. You will receive an email when the card has been printed and is ready for payment ($7) and collection.
Q. My child does not use the before or after school bus service – will they need a card to use a bus for sport or excursions? A. No. Presently we are only using RollCall for before and after school bus routes.
BUS TRAVEL FAQ Hillcrest Christian College is proud to offer a first class bus service for its students. We understand you may have questions regarding this bus service. These Frequently Asked Questions are to be read in conjunction with the school’s BUS USER CODE OF CONDUCT, located on the website. 1. Can my child / children travel on a bus once every so often? A: Yes, providing there are seats available. You can purchase a Flexi-Card online. Once you’ve made your online payment, you can collect your Flexi-Card from Main Reception the following day. Your Flexi-Card is valid for the whole calendar year and can be used for either the AM or PM bus routes. 2. What happens if the bus has reached its maximum seat capacity with Term Pass Holders? A: Both AM and PM routes have a seating capacity depending on the bus size. Once all the seats on a route are booked with Term Pass holders, new applicants will be placed on a waiting list. 3. What Happens if the bus is full for the PM route departing from Hillcrest? A: Term Pass holders will always have a seat on their bus. Spare seats will be filled with Flexi-Card holders on a first in basis until the bus is full. Once the bus is full, Students must return to their community’s reception to arrange alternative collection. 4. My Child has a PM Term Pass. Can they travel on another bus on special occasions? A: Yes. But even though there is no extra fee they will be regarded a Flexi-Card holder, so they can only board that bus if it is not full. 5. Can my child / children be dropped off in front of our house? A: Yes. But only if your home is on the bus route and there is a safe stopping zone. 6. Does having a Flexi-Card guarantee my child a seat on a bus? A: No. As noted in point 3, they can only travel if there are spare seats on that bus. 7. Can more than one of my children use the same Flexi-Card? A: Yes. Any child from your family can travel using the same Flexi-Card. If two or more are travelling on the same bus the card will be clipped once for each child. 8. What will happen if my child is waiting for pick up to school and does not have their Flexi-Card with them? A: We will always pick up waiting students on their way to school. The driver will notify accounts and a travel fee of $8.00 plus a processing fee of $2.50 per child will be added to your students account. A Flexi-Card cannot be clipped at a later date for that travel. 9. What will happen if my child is wanting to board the bus at school for home and does not have their Flexi-Card with them? A: Students must return to their community’s reception to arrange alternative collection. 10. What happens if I’m not able to meet my JLC child at my PM drop off? A: When you apply for your child to travel on a bus you must click the ‘I grant permission’ check box on the online payment link. If permission is not given the bus driver will attempt to contact your mobile. If that is unsuccessful the JLC student will return to Hillcrest’s Library and the costs incurred will be passed on to you.
COMPARISON
BUS vs CAR Have you considered the most cost-effective way to get your child to school? To assist with this comparison, we have created a sample College family. The family lives in Tugun, 10 kilometres from the College with one child attending. Each day, a parent drives their child to school in a mid-sized SUV. If they opt for the College bus, their likely savings are as follows.
COST SAVINGS
$1803 per annum
TIME SAVED
CARBON EMISSIONS SAVED
per week
per annum
6h 40min
1.81 Tonnes
Car costs $2923 | Bus fares $1120
1,986 tonnes - 172kg
How we calculated the likely savings
CAR
COLLEGE BUS
COST OF CAR Distance to the College (from Tugun) 5 two-way trips per week 37 school weeks
COST OF BUS 10kms
AM & PM Pass, one child pass cost per term
$260
100kms
Cost per annum for one child (four Terms)
$1040
3700kms
Cost per kilometre of common mid-sized SUV*
$0.79
Cost per annum
$2923
TIME COST
Cost per annum for one family (four Terms)
$455 $1820
TIME SAVING - more time for the parent No travel time for the parent.
Travel time to College (one way from Tugun)
15mins
Travel time - 2 return trips per day
60mins
Daily car park delays (morning and afternoon)
20mins
Time expended - weekly
AM & PM Pass, family pass cost per term
6h 40mins
Since the child now travels by bus, the parent now has an additional 6 hours and 40 minutes each week; time they can now use for other pursuits. Time expended - weekly
* Source: https://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/cars/owning-and-maintaining-a-car/car-running-costs
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HILLCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 21 Bridgman Drive, Reedy Creek Qld 4227 PO Box 2503, Burleigh Waters Qld 4220 +61 7 5593 4226 office@hillcrest.qld.edu.au hillcrest.qld.edu.au