Bus Services

Northcross Intermediate offers several bus routes for student transport. For the latest updates and changes to these routes, we encourage regular visits to this page.

Busses that service Northcross Intermediate are run by Ritchies and Bayes busses. All bus services arrive at and depart from the bus bay at the school’s front entrance on Sartors Avenue.

If you have any questions regarding the bus services, please contact the school office – Phone: 477 0167, or click here to email

There is a AT app which can be downloaded onto your phone which shows relevant bus routes and information.

Safety & Behaviour Expectations

Please review this document to ensure buses remain a safe environment for everyone. It outlines behavioural expectations and safe boarding/disembarking procedures. Parents should go over these rules with their children.

Students who engage in unsafe or inappropriate behaviour risk being banned from the bus.

Download Safety & Behaviour Expectations

Timetables & Ticketing information

Bayes Coachlines

Bayes Coachlines operate the majority of routes servicing Northcross Intermediate Students.

We often post relevant route updates at the bottom of this page. However, the most up-to-date timetables and route information can be found on Bayes website.

Bayes Bus Routes

Purchasing Tickets

Students traveling on Bayes Coachlines must use the AT HOP card. The easiest way to top-up is online.

Buy an AT HOP card   How to top up an AT HOP card

Additional top-up and other useful information about traveling on a Auckland Transport busses can be found at the bottom of this page.

Ritchies Transport

Ritchies operates two bus services for Northcross Intermediate Students.

Route #210 – Waimauku to Albany, Northcross and Long Bay

We often post relevant route updates at the bottom of this page. However the most up-to-date route, time table and pricing information can be found on the Ritchies website. Please note the different routes for the morning and afternoon services.

Ritchies School Bus Info

Purchasing tickets for Route #210

Single cash fares are NOT accepted on this service. Students must purchase a ten trip ticket from the bus driver or at the Ritchies Swanson or Albany Depot. Drivers accept cash and eftpos. 


Route #63 Northcross Intermediate to Torbay

This is an afternoon only AT bus route operated by Ritchies.

Route

Departs NX at 3:05pm

Northcross Intermediate Bus Bay (4420), Sartors Avenue, East Coast Road, Carlisle Road, Firth Road, Deep Creek Road, Beach Road, County Road, 46 County Road (3010)

Purchasing tickets for Route #63

Students traveling on the #63 route must use the AT HOP card. The easiest way to top-up is online.

Buy an AT HOP card   How to top up an AT HOP card

Additional top-up and other useful information about traveling on a Auckland Transport busses can be found at the bottom of this page.

Public Bus (Long Bay - Torbay - Browns Bay - Mairangi Bay)

Long Bay - Torbay - Browns Bay - Mairangi Bay Timetable

This is a public bus service operated by Auckland Transport. Students traveling on this route must use the AT HOP card. The easiest way to top-up is online.

Buy an AT HOP card   How to top up an AT HOP card

Additional top-up and other useful information about traveling on a Auckland Transport busses can be found at the bottom of this page.

Route Updates

Route # 9 – For Kingsway Students

Due to overloading, NX students who previously got on the #9 bus between Long Bay College and Northcross Shops now need to catch #28 in the mornings. 

Route #9 Kingsway will still collect any NX students along Deep Creek Rd and Drop them at the end of Carlisle Rd as normal as there are no other buses that go this way.

Northcross students need to be aware that if KingsWay School is closed (i.e. Staff Only Day) the #9 bus service will not operate.

Route #24 – Northcross Intermediate via Long Bay to Silverdale

#24 For Northcross students this route ends at Long Bay College.

Students need to either catch #26 or #76 for Silverdale.

Routes #25, #26, #27 – School Bus Transfer Locations for Students travelling to/from the Hibiscus Coast

Please refer to Bayes Coachlines’ website to see the location where students transfer between these routes. Do not rely on AT’s Journey Planner for transfer locations, as they can suggest incorrect transfer points.

School Bus Services – Bayes Coachlines

This effects:

  • # 25 Hatfields Beach to Rangitoto College
  • # 26 Gulf Harbour to Long Bay College, Northcross Intermediate and Rangitoto College
  • # 27 Stanmore Bay to Long Bay College

Route #28 (PM)

This route no longer travels via Browns Bay, students in that area can now take Route #26 which has been amended to cover Browns Bay.

Changes should appear in Journey Planner by the end of April 2025.

Route #26 (PM)

This afternoon route now travels via Browns Bay (instead of Route #28) and then returns to East Coast Road via Carlisle Road. Students living on Carlisle Road could use this service in the afternoons.

Changes should appear in Journey Planner by the end of April 2025.

Please note

Routes #24 (PM service only) and #28 cover some of the same area (Torbay shops and Long Bay College).

These services have full standing loads in the afternoon so students must ensure that they do not place bags on empty seats, and that all students are seated whenever possible. This will ensure that there is room for standing passengers.

Students may be asked to change between these two buses if one is fuller than the other.

Bayes Coachlines have asked Auckland Transport to review the school bus services offered for Northcross Intermediate. If you have any suggestions for route changes/additional services please contact AT directly.

Contact AT Transport

Information about traveling on an AT bus route

Using an Auckland Transport HOP Card

Students will need an Auckland Transport HOP card to travel on all AT bus routes.

Buy an AT HOP card

Passengers must use their HOP card (with a positive balance) to tag on when boarding the bus and tag off when they disembark.

Discounted Fares on Auckland Transport Services

As of 1 May 2024, children aged 5 to 15 years receive 40% off the adult fare if their AT HOP card is registered with their date of birth.

Top-ups

We recommend setting an Auto Top-Up on your child’s registered HOP card to ensure that they always have the correct fare for their journey.

How to top up an AT HOP card

If your child doesn’t have a HOP card, someone else can purchase a fare for them using the balance on their own HOP card. However, this should only be used in rare cases, as it is more economical for each person to use their own HOP card. If a passenger "tags on" another person, they are charged the cash fare, which is typically more than double the HOP fare.

Journey Planner

Auckland Transport offers a Journey Planner tool to find the best route. Be sure to refine your search by selecting School Bus.

Please note that scheduled bus stop times are indicative only and based on average travel times along the route.

Access Journey Planner

Real-Time Bus Location with the AT Mobile App

All buses are GPS-enabled, and you can use the AT Mobile App to track your bus in real time. This feature helps you and your children see the bus’s progress and estimate its arrival—particularly useful in case of traffic delays.

Steps to track your bus:

  1. Open the app and select Live Departures at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Enter your stop number or location, or find it on the map.
  3. Select Save Stop to add it to your favourites for quick access later.
  4. A list of buses due at the stop will appear—click the route number to view the bus’s location on a map.

Bus Stops and Express Services

Official bus stops are visible on Google Maps and Journey Planner (though JP can occasionally have errors, which we report for correction).

Most AT routes stop at any official stop, but some are express routes for part of their journey or may not stop at certain bus stops. This is usually the case when routes overlap.

To balance passenger loads between the routes, drivers may advise students to catch a different bus in future. For example:

Kingsway School

  • Route 9 serves East Coast Road fully.
  • Route 8 travels East Coast Road but operates as an express between Northcross Shops and Silverdale.

Whangaparaoa College

  • Route 11 and Route 17 both travel along Vipond Road. However, between D’Oyly Drive and Whangaparaoa Road, Route 11 only stops near Brian Crescent.
  • Routes 20 and 21 from Gulf Harbour cover the same route, but drivers may alternate stops to manage loads.

East Coast Road and Rural Areas

In rural areas, some stops may simply be at the end of a driveway or road. We ensure that these locations are safe for students to board or disembark, with enough space for the bus to pull off the road safely.

If your children are waiting at such stops, they should:

  • Stand in clear view of the driver (not in a car).
  • Hail the driver as the bus approaches.

Hailing the Bus

We assign drivers to the same route whenever possible, so they become familiar with students' boarding and disembarking patterns. However, as drivers may change, students should always:

  • Hail the bus when waiting at a stop.
  • Press the bell to signal when they want to get off.
RITCHIES BUS ROUTES    Waimauku to Long Bay College (New Bus – 5 August 2024)

Tickets for Route #210 (Waimauku to Albany, Northcross and Long Bay) & New Route Waimauku to Long Bay College

Single cash fares are NOT accepted on these services. Students must purchase a ten trip ticket from the bus driver or at the Ritchies Swanson or Albany Depot. Drivers accept cash and eftpos. 

Tickets for Route #63 – Northcross Intermediate to Torbay

Students traveling on the #63 route must use the AT HOP card. The easiest way to top-up is online.

Buy an AT HOP card   How to top up an AT HOP card

Additional top-up and other useful information about traveling on a Auckland Transport busses can be found at the bottom of this page.

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