Kaka Street Special School's senior students are hitching a ride on a Bay Hopper tomorrow after testing a fully accessible bus in downtown Tauranga today.

A bright yellow wheelchair-friendly Bay Hopper bus parked at Tauranga's Red Square today for Tauranga residents with disabilities to test as part of International Day with Disabilities.

Jayme Foster and Jordan Henderson on the Bay Hopper bus today.

The ‘Have-a-Go' initiative is organised in conjunction with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which contracts public transport services in the region, Tauranga City Council, Go Bus Transport and CCS Disability Action.

Kaka Street School head teacher Kelley Heron says her students have been learning about bus safety as part of one of their year-long school modules. Today, the students were finally given the opportunity to hop on the bus.

Tomorrow, the class will travel from the school to Downtown the Mount to put into practise what they have learned.

Kelley says most of her students don't use bus travel, but today's trial is a good opportunity to see what public transport options are available to them.

Kaka Street School high school students Jordan Henderson, Jayme Foster and Peta Te Pohe were among those trialling the bus today.

Peta says the bus is 'cool” and he is looking forward to the bus trip from his school to Downtown the Mount.

CCS Disability Action access coordinator Mandy Gudgeon says one in five New Zealanders have some sort of disability and not all disabilities are visible.

'It's not just for people with physical disabilities. There are a lot of other disabilities…that people don't see.”

Kaka Street School students have-a-go on the Bay Hopper bus in Tauranga's Red Square today.

Mandy says a fully-accessible bus creates inclusion and access for people with disabilities.

'We are learning to be more of an inclusive society and learning how to break down environmental and societal barriers.

'It teaches all those normal things that we take for granted. It's so important to get on the bus because it opens up the ability for everyone to access their community.”