Parade to celebrate road safety

The annual Orange Day parade will weave its way around central Tauranga on December 1.

Central Tauranga will be a sea of orange on December 1 as the children who helped keep their peers safe on the road this year celebrate with a parade.

The annual Orange Day Parade will include more than 600 students from 28 schools in the Western Bay of Plenty who dress up in orange to mark the occasion.

Travel Safe and New Zealand Police work alongside schools in promoting road safety and activities such as road patrols, bus monitors, traffic wardens and Travel Safe students.

For Orange Day, students identify a road safety issue or an active transport promotion in their community and design a banner with proactive and relevant messages.

Police area commander, Inspector Clifford Paxton, says Orange Day is a wonderful opportunity for police, partners and the community to recognise the efforts of these students in keeping themselves and their fellow students safe.

'Their efforts in promoting and assisting with road safety makes a real and substantial difference to their school communities,” says Clifford.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges says the contribution that young people make to road safety will always be important.

'Every year the Orange Day Parade provides us with the opportunity to recognise the role these students play ensuring our children are safe getting to and from school,” says Simon.

'Rain or shine, they ensure road safety around their schools, and I thank them for their efforts. They are a visual reminder to everyone of the importance of road safety around schools.”

The parade leaves from The Strand next to the waka on Friday, December 1 at 9.35am then winds its way along Harrington, Willow, Grey, and Elizabeth Streets, Devonport Road and The Strand, ending at the Edgewater Fan with a presentation of the winning banners.

The children then spend the rest of the day at Baywave as a thank you for their efforts.

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