Parents Demand Answers After Ōpōtiki-Whakatāne School Bus 'Nearly Crashes'

Parents are raising concerns about the safety and reliability of the Ōpōtiki-Whakatāne school bus service after a driver suffered a medical incident while transporting tamariki to school on Friday.

The driver was reportedly swerving onto the wrong side of the road and later mounted a kerb in Ōhope, narrowly missing parked vehicles.

Police pulled the Bus driver over when the bus reached Whakatāne.  

Uzabus said preliminary information indicates the driver suffered a medical event behind the wheel.

Opōtiki parent Libby Kinnaird, whose son James catches the user-pays Uzabus service daily, said the bus swerved onto the wrong side of the road this morning, forcing two oncoming cars to pull off the road.  

Further along the route, in the residential Ōhope area, the driver mounted the kerb and narrowly missed several parked vehicles.

"The children on the bus were terrified," Kinnaird said.  

A member of the public called 111 after witnessing the driving, and police intercepted the bus once it reached Whakatāne.

Kinnaird said Uzabus told her the driver had experienced a medical event, "however, it leaves me wondering why he did not stop."

She said the incident was the third on the service in a week.  

On Monday, the bus broke down and stopped next to a barrier that blocked the doors, leaving children on board for more than 30 minutes.  

On Wednesday, after a flat tyre, the driver let children off onto the main highway, where some were picked up by passing motorists.

Kinnaird also raised concerns about the cost and standard of the service, saying families pay $196 for a 20-trip pass on the Ōpōtiki-Whakatāne route, compared with $118 for a similar-distance service to Kawerau.  

She said students are frequently made to stand due to a lack of seating, and that after speaking with Uzabus following this morning's incident, she did not believe the company grasped the severity of what happened or how frightened parents and students were.

In a statement, Uzabus said it was aware of the incident and the concerns raised within the local community.

"Safety is our absolute top priority, and we are treating this matter with the utmost urgency," the company said.  

It said preliminary information suggested the driver experienced a medical event while operating the vehicle, and its immediate focus was on ensuring he received appropriate medical care alongside the safety and wellbeing of passengers on board.

Uzabus said it was carrying out a "thorough investigation" into this morning's circumstances, working with relevant parties as part of its review, and would provide a further update once the investigation was complete. It asked for the community's patience while it established the full facts.

Police confirmed they received a report of the incident and confirmed that, based on current information, the driver had a medical event.

"The children are safe," Police said.