Bus driver accused of taking school children on psycho joyride

NZ Herald

26 May, 2015 02:29 AM4 mins to read

Parents on Facebook said the Ritchies bus went on 17km joyride. Photo / Supplied

Police and the Ministry of Education are investigating an incident in which a bus driver allegedly took up to 60 school children on a mad 17km "joyride" to the Manukau Harbour settlement of Huia.

A Waitemata police spokeswoman has this afternoon confirmed that officers "are looking into the incident and inquiries are under way".

She said officers were making contact with Green Bay High, one of two West Auckland schools with children aboard the Ritchies Transport double-decker bus yesterday afternoon when a relief driver allegedly refused to let them off at their usual stops.

Younger children aged from 11 up from Glen Eden Intermediate School were said to be in tears during the ordeal, and several older students to have escaped through an emergency exit from the bus, as it slowed to take a bend on the winding route to Huia.
Principals of both schools have told the Herald the Ministry of Education is also investigating the incident, give the safety concerns raised by it.

Ritchies Transport depot manager Stephen Healliss said he was not authorised to comment in detail, but that the company was investigating the incident and had been working with the schools.

He indicated that the double-decker was drafted on to the run at short notice, and was not the regular vehicle used to take the children home over the Waitakere Ranges.

Green Bay principal Morag Hutchison said the school had been assured the usual bus driver on the run, who was very reliable and had drawn no complaints, would be back on duty this afternoon.

Joop Van Herk, mother of a 15-year-old Green Bay student whose friend's father collected them from Huia after being phoned for help, said the bus driver had threatened to take his remaining passengers all the way back to the school without stopping.

But once the bus stopped near a bridge on the way to Little Huia, "everybody flooded off it".

Ms Van Herk understood from her son that one boy who jumped off the bus while it was still moving suffered a grazed elbow.

DO YOU KNOW MORE? EMAIL US WITH YOUR PICS OR VIDEOS

Ms Van Herk wrote on Facebook: "Children were crying and some of the older ones tried to talk sense into the bus driver, who drove like a 'psychopath', according to my son.

"After he passed several stops without listening to student pleas to let them off, kids pushed the emergency button and jumped out of the driving bus, while swirling on the road.

"Who is this crazy relieving bus driver who thinks he can take our kids for a ride and act totally irresponsible and unsafe?

"This was a terrible nightmare for the younger children, some taken care of by the older students."

The Green Bay statement said though some details of yesterday's incident remained to be confirmed, it was "clear that the usual arrangements for students getting off the bus departed from expected practice".
"We are currently clarifying details with a number of people including the management of Ritchies."

Meanwhile, the school said families could be assured that the bus route's regular driver would be on duty this afternoon.

"Once we have had further contact back from Ritchies and have the facts verified, we will be in a position to make additional comment."

Ms Van Herk's post sparked a flurry of outrage from her Facebook friends

Quintin Derham wrote that his son was also on the bus.

"He was terrified - heads will roll," he said.

Haidee Noffe described the children's ordeal as "madness" and said the driver should be drug-tested.

Ginny Taare wrote: "Ritchies is terrible!!! I've phoned them a number of times complaining about their poor service. A few times the bus didn't turn up. A driver got as far as West City (Henderson shopping mall), turned around as he'd forgotten the Te Atatu Int. students - always late, the list goes on."