A bus driver who left a 7-year-old disabled boy inside a school bus for nearly five hours without food or water is sorry and devastated by her actions, says the coach company.
But the boy's family say it is too late for an apology.
Daniel Ramanui, from Kawerau, who has cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus (water on the brain), is almost completely blind and cannot speak. He was reliant on the wheelchair-access school bus supplied by Kawerau Coaches, contracted by the Ministry of Education, to take him the five-minute drive to Kawerau South School each day.
His parents, Toni and Pita Ramanui, appeared on TV3's Campbell Live to tell their side of the story.
On Friday, February 24, the bus driver came to pick up Daniel from his home at the usual time but instead of taking him to school, she drove back to her home, leaving the bus parked in her driveway with Daniel inside for four and a half hours. She said later she'd had a memory lapse.
She returned Daniel to his parents after 2pm that day. But the parents didn't find out about the incident until the following week.
Daniel's grandmother Michelle Hudson said the bus company's delay in letting the family know felt like a "big cover-up".
"On Tuesday afternoon, it was a completely different story from what we were told six days later in the incident report."
Ms Hudson said the company representative told the family the driver had a "domestic" with her husband on the day. But the incident report said she had chores at home.
"It's a bit late for an apology. They've had all the chances, now it's all out in the open they think an apology will help."
Ms Hudson said that although the family were angered and frustrated they were thankful the circumstances had not been more tragic.
"This wasn't about us, it was about Daniel. It was only because he can't be heard and we needed people to hear what his storywas.
"This lady saw the family four times [to pick him up and drop him off] before the story came out ... We're feeling guilty because that made it worse [for Daniel and] we now have the hard part of healing our grandson and making him trust other people again."
A Kawerau Coaches spokeswoman, who did not want to be named, said the matter had been brought to the company's attention three days after the incident by a member of the public.
After consultation with the school, the Ministry of Education and the bus driver, the company spokeswoman visited Daniel's parents to tell them what had happened. The Kawerau South School principal and one of the teachers also attended the meeting.
The spokeswoman said she apologised to the parents.
She also said the bus driver had not been able to apologise personally as the Ramanuis had asked the company to no longer make contact with them.
She said the driver was very remorseful and resigned voluntarily before the story aired on Campbell Live .
"[She] was absolutely devastated. She resigned voluntarily ... She has been with us for quite some time and there have been no problems with her before. She loves all the kids she works with ... She can't handle the fact that it was something she had done."
Ministry of Education secretary of schooling Anne Jackson said the ministry was working with Kawerau Coaches regarding their contractual obligations.
"The ministry is working with the company, the school and the family to understand the details of the incident and to determine what, if any, actions may be required as a result."
The ministry expects to complete its investigations next week.
Kawerau Coaches came under fire in 2007 for banning from buses a 13-year-old boy who suffered from body odour because of a medical condition.