College eyes safety boost as bus victims recover

Rangitoto College will consider whether it needs to improve safety in an area where five students were run over by a bus this week.

The girls were sitting on a grass verge in front of the school in the late morning when they were struck by a bus loaded with college students.

Principal David Hodge said the area was a popular spot for students and a thoroughfare into the school.

A 15-year-old girl was yesterday in a stable condition in intensive care in the Starship and is expected to remain in hospital for several weeks.

Another girl, 14, will be in hospital for another week to 10 days.

Three other students, aged 14 and 15, are recovering at home.

Police said the bus driver accelerated as he was departing. He has been issued with a ticket for careless driving causing injury.

A serious crash team yesterday examined the accident site.

Mr Hodge said the road was engineered to be a safe area for buses to arrive and depart.

"That I guess is one of the frustrations. It's been engineered to be a safe environment but it wasn't, because no one had predicted the bus would go straight ahead instead of turning right, that it would accelerate instead of going gradually."

A barrier would have protected the students, he said.

"As soon as we get the police report and look at that we'll take whatever steps we can to make sure the thing is even safer than it was.

"We will consider anything ... to ensure the safety of our students."