GO GEORGE – Be safe on the bus to school this year
BE SAFE ON THE BUS TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR
Issued: Mon 8 Feb 2021
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
This year, GO GEORGE communication champions may not be able to visit all schools as usual at the beginning of the school year, due to Covid-19 safety restrictions. They will, however, be present at the bus stops near schools during the first few weeks of the school term to 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 will be discussed with the learners. These maps can also be downloaded from the website www.gogeorge.org.za.
Learners are advised to discuss boarding time with the champions and the best routes to use to avoid full buses during peak time. Champions will also remind learners about important Covid-19 safety regulations. This will be done in a novel manner, with the assistance of The Sanitiser – a superhero character who will make sure that the young passengers do not forget to wear their masks correctly and to regularly sanitise their hands.
Covid-19 safety
GO GEORGE Manager, James Robb, calls upon parents to also help imprint the importance of adherence to the Covid-19 safety regulations on their children when using the bus service.
“Public transport remains a high-risk environment for the spreading of the virus. We are doing everything in our power to contribute to passengers’ safety when using our buses. But we need all our passengers, learners included, to take responsibility for their own health and safety by adhering to the basic safety measures,” he said.
“Please make sure that your child is equipped with a proper mask covering both the mouth and nose, and that they keep the masks on, even when chatting to friends on the bus. We supply sanitiser on the buses – passengers should sanitise their hands when they enter and when they leave the bus.”
For more information on the best routes to the various schools in town, phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044, send an email to info@gogeorge.org.za or visit www.gogeorge.org.za.
CAPTION:
Keenan Myners demonstrates how masks should be worn, covering the mouth as well as the nose. It is of utmost importance that passengers should keep their masks on during the entire bus trip – all protection is compromised when the mask is taken off to chat to co-passengers.
WEES VANJAAR VEILIG OP DIE BUS SKOOL TOE
Uitgereik: Maandag 8 Februarie 2021
Met die nuwe akademiese jaar wat volgende week afskop, begin ouers se uitdaging met dol vervoerskedules om hul kinders by die skool af te laai en op te tel. Ouers van leerders wat van die GO GEORGE-busdiens gebruik maak om by die skool uit te kom, word aangemoedig om hul kinders te help om betyds alles hiervoor gereed te kry.
Dit is belangrik om ‘n GO GEORGE Slimkaart te kry en genoeg ritte te laai voordat skole begin, en nie te wag totdat leerders geen ritte oor het voordat hulle weer herlaai nie. Die Slimkaart moet met dieselfde sorg as enige bankkaart of kontant hanteer word; as dit wegraak, kan ritte op die kaart nie terugbetaal of na ‘n nuwe kaart oorgedra word nie.
Skoolroetekaarte
Go GEORGE-passasiersdiensbeamptes sal weens Covid-19-veiligheidsbeperkings nie aan die begin van die skooljaar alle skole soos gewoonlik kan besoek nie. Hulle sal egter gedurende die eerste paar weke van die skoolkwartaal by die bushaltes naby skole wees om leerders in te lig oor die verskillende roetes skool toe. Unieke kaarte wat die verskillende opsies skool toe en terug huis toe uitbeeld, is vir elke skool geskep en sal met die leerders bespreek word. Hierdie kaarte kan ook afgelaai word vanaf die webwerf www.gogeorge.org.za. Leerders word aangeraai om die beste opklimtyd en roetes om vol busse gedurende spitstyd te vermy met die passasiersdiensbeamptes te bespreek.
Die beamptes sal leerders ook herinner aan belangrike Covid-19-veiligheidsregulasies. ‘n Superheldkarakter genaamd The Sanitiser sal op vermaaklike wyse seker maak dat die jong passasiers nie vergeet om hul maskers korrek te dra en gereeld hul hande te ontsmet nie.
Covid-19-veiligheid
GO GEORGE-bestuurder, James Robb, doen ‘n beroep op ouers om ook te help om die belangrikheid van nakoming van die Covid-19-veiligheidsregulasies by hul kinders in te skerp wanneer hulle die busdiens gebruik.
“Openbare vervoer bly ‘n hoë-risiko omgewing vir die verspreiding van die virus en ons doen alles in ons vermoë om by te dra tot passasiers se veiligheid wanneer hulle ons busse gebruik. Maar ons het nodig dat al ons passasiers, leerders ingesluit, verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie gesondheid en veiligheid neem deur aan die basiese veiligheidsmaatreëls te voldoen,” het hy gesê.
“Maak asseblief seker dat jou kind toegerus is met ‘n behoorlike masker wat die mond sowel as die neus bedek, en dat hulle die maskers aanhou, selfs wanneer hulle met vriende op die bus gesels. Ons verskaf handreiniger op die busse – passasiers moet asseblief hul hande ontsmet wanneer hulle opklim en weer wanneer hulle die bus verlaat.”
Vir meer inligting oor die beste roetes na die onderskeie skole in die dorp, skakel gerus die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044, stuur ‘n e-pos aan info@gogeorge.org.za of besoek www.gogeorge.org.za.
Onderskrif:
Keenan Myners demonstreer hoe maskers gedra moet word sodat die mond sowel as die neus bedek word. Dit is van uiterste belang dat passasiers hul maskers tydens die hele busrit aanhou – alle beskerming is daarmee heen wanneer die masker afgehaal word om met medepassasiers te gesels.