Hitting the road across South Australia will be 28 new large school buses, after the State Government signed a $16 million contract with Volvo Group Australia.

The purchase of these new 57-seat automatic diesel buses will provide safe and reliable transportation for students.

The buses are scheduled for delivery between August 2025 and February 2026, and will operate in the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula and Limestone Coast regions.

Department for Education Chief Operating Officer Chris Bernardi said, I’m pleased that we are making this significant investment for the future by purchasing 28, new, 57-seater diesel school buses from Volvo Group Australia to add to our fleet.

“We welcome more Volvo Buses into our operations, as they provide a robust, reliable, safe and efficient solution that not only meets our current needs but also paves the way for a sustainable future in school bus transportation”, said Mr Bernardi.

The new buses will feature the Volvo B8R Euro 6 Chassis with a Volgren Endura Body. They are equipped with advanced safety features, including a fire suppression system, child-check alarm, UHF radio, GPS and CCTV.

They also include driver support systems like collision warning and emergency brake, telematics, and lane keeping support.

Maintenance will be handled by South Central Truck and Bus, Volvo’s local authorised dealer in Adelaide and regional service garages will undertake mandatory maintenance inspections.

The 28 new buses will be added to the department's fleet of 180 buses, which comprises a mix of small, large, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

The fleet of buses serve about 15,000 students each year, travelling about 9 million kilometres across South Australia.