A new school bus route connecting Cardigan Village and Lucas with Ballarat High School is expected to begin running in July 2023, according to tender documents.
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First announced in October, the Department of Transport released the documents last month, which stated there were 15 eligible students from Cardigan Village on the waitlist for a school bus, and 35 in the wider corridor.
The proposed service - a school bus only - would involve one bus in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The documents state there are 12 families currently at Lucas Primary School from Cardigan Village, acknowledging the area's "significant" population growth.
A proposed route is included that circles through Cardigan Village before proceeding south along the Haddon-Windermere Road and Cuthberts Road through to Lucas Primary School and Ballarat High School, however the exact route would be negotiated with the successful tenderer.
The service is expected to begin running on July 10, 2023, in time for the beginning of term three, with the contract to run for nine years.
The Department of Transport notes this contract length is common for school bus services, and will align with the end date of similar contracts.
A spokesperson said in a statement the new service is part of a $25 million investment to improve school buses at 14 locations across the state.
"A new school bus service is being introduced in 2023 linking the growing areas of Cardigan Village and Lucas with Lucas Primary School and Ballarat High School for the first time," they said.
"The two schools are among the first to benefit from extra school bus service."
While details on the new school bus service are welcome, there is still no word on when a full Ballarat public bus network review will take place, something the City of Ballarat has long been calling for.
The Cardigan Village school bus tender closes January 26.
