Bus driver wants to meet schoolgirls he ran over

A bus driver wants to meet the five high school students he ran down when he lost control of his vehicle on Auckland's North Shore in June, a court was told today.

The man was driving a Ritchies Coachline bus at Rangitoto College when he momentarily lost control.

The bus mounted a footpath and ran over five Rangitoto College girl students as they sat on a grass area during a break.

All five were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.

Today the 46-year-old driver, who was granted continued name suppression, pleaded guilty in North Shore District Court to five charges of careless driving causing injury.

He was remanded until October for sentencing after his lawyer Edwin Telle said the driver was keen to attend a restorative justice conference with the girls and their families.

Mr Telle said the driver last saw the children as they lay on the road with quite serious injuries, leaving him traumatised,

- NZPA