Outrage as 10-year-old left at stop by 'full' bus

Photo / NZPA

A 10-year-old girl waiting for her after-school bus was left on the side of the road after a driver dropped three people off but insisted he was "too full" to take anyone else.

Janelle Shilton, of Raglan, was left at the stop at Dinsdale Countdown, Hamilton, by the Busit service - and her parents were forced to leave a funeral they were attending to come and get her.

The regional council, which is responsible for the Raglan-Hamilton service, says its hands are tied because it cannot overload buses and there is no funding for additional services between Hamilton and Raglan to ease crowding.

But the Raglan community is demanding action as it is the third time people have been stranded at bus stops while waiting for the service this year.

Janelle was waiting with two adults at about 4pm on Friday when the bus pulled up and dropped off three people.

The bus driver told them the bus was full and drove off. The next service was due in two hours.

The St Columba's School pupil texted her parents, and they were forced to leave the funeral they were at in Hamilton to pick her up.

Her mother, Leanne Shilton, was furious she had been left behind and worried about what might have happened to her or other children who took the bus home.

"If we didn't have the private car arrangement we could be having trouble like this every day."

Mrs Shilton was grateful her daughter had a mobile phone and said they now had a back-up plan where Janelle would return to the library and then phone her mum.

She said that with so many children using the service more buses were needed.

Waikato Regional Council transport and policy manager Vaughan Payne said the council had not received a complaint from the girl's parents, but the bus company, Go Bus, was already investigating.

Mr Payne said it was unsafe to fill the bus over its legal limit, which was 66 passengers, and he was aware of two other incidents where passengers had been told to wait for the 5.40pm service.

The service, traditionally used by shoppers and commuters, was under pressure this year because of the rise in the number of children travelling between Hamilton and Raglan for secondary school.

The regional council was working with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Transport and the Waikato District Council to come up with a solution, but it was likely to take some time.

"While regrettable, this is a challenging issue with no easy fix," Mr Payne said.

He said funding was a major issue and none of the other funding partners were willing to assist.

Already, 60 per cent of the service was funded by taxpayers and ratepayers.

The regional council was in the process of getting a quote for the cost of putting on a third bus, but Mr Payne said that would have to be covered by the Raglan community through a targeted rate or through fares.

He said the service ran at or near capacity before and after school hours, while the off-peak demand was much lower.

In a letter yesterday, Raglan Community Board chairman Rodger Gallagher said he had received a number of complaints about the service.

He said parents were upset that fares had increased for the inadequate service.

He was also aware of an incident this month where 15 people had been left on the roadside because the bus was full.

The Raglan Community Board is organising a meeting between the Raglan community and the district and regional councils to discuss the issue. It is expected to be held next week.