The provincial PCs are renewing their calls for changes to the provincial school bussing policy ahead of the new school year.

Opposition Education Critic Craig Pardy is calling on the Liberals to make an “immediate policy change” to prevent children from walking to school in unsafe conditions.

Current provincial regulations state that funding will not be provided for the busing of students who live within 1.6 kilometres of their school. Pardy says there are continuing issues that aren’t being addressed.

He says it’s compounded in the winter with uncleared sidewalks.

There are busses with room for the students passing through the areas in which they live, says Pardy, suggesting they could easily stop and get them, but that isn’t happening

With school set to begin for most next week, Pardy wants the changes to come sooner rather than later, and is calling on Education Minister Brian Warr to announce a new policy in time for the first day of classes.

Roughly 45,000 students will be taking the bus this year on 900 routes across the province.