'Miscommunication” has been blamed after a school bus failed to run its regular route this morning, leaving students stranded by the roadside in the rain.
The 411 service, which runs from Ohauiti and Welcome Bay to Otumoetai Intermediate and Otumoetai College, failed to show up at all, leaving a number of children helpless.
BOP Regional Council have blamed 'miscommunication” after a school bus failed to turn up this morning. Photo: File.
Part of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Schoolhopper bus network, which was officially launched this term, the no-show prompted one parent to contact SunLive after her daughter had waited at a bus stop on Osprey Drive for over 30 minutes.
In response, authorities have pointed the finger at a lack of communication between the bus company and its driver in relation to the route.
BOP Regional Council Transport Policy Manager Garry Maloney says: 'We have investigated an issue this morning when the 411 bus did not carry out its run.
'This was the result of miscommunication from the bus company to its driver about the route.
'The error was realised at about 8.30am at which time the bus company immediately sent out a bus.
'The company is looking at its processes to make sure this does not happen again.
'The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which manages the Schoolhopper school bus service under the Baybus brand, is looking at ways it can work with the call centre to make sure it has the most recent information about any issues on the routes.”
Earlier today, concerned mum Karen McIntyre, whose daughter was directly affected, slammed the organisation of the service, saying: 'There was no forewarning at all.
'There is no way of contacting anybody at the bus company to see if there are any troubles or what's going on.”
9 comments
Posted on 23-02-2015 15:18 | By nerak
is one word for it, I can think of plenty of others more appropriate. And part of our rates go to BOPRC, what exactly for? Certainly doesn't seem for doing their job correctly, does it? Simply not good enough.
.
Posted on 23-02-2015 15:33 | By whatsinaname
if the council cant organise a bus timetable how can the run the city. unbeleivable.
Kids should go to school in their area?
Posted on 23-02-2015 15:56 | By Annalist
Why on earth is a bus running from Ohauiti to Otumoetai schools? There is an intermediate school and secondary schools in the Gate Pa area. Why are ratepayers subsidising these buses? Answers please.
Read @ whatsinaname
Posted on 23-02-2015 16:12 | By tabatha
How often do wade in boots in all and blame the wrong council. The Council concerned is the regional Council nothing to do with the regular day to day running of Tauranga City.
Bus stopped?
Posted on 23-02-2015 16:17 | By YOGI BEAR
So who decided to "stop" the bus? RBOP say it was the drivers fault, the bus company fault? Surely someone at RBOP said stop and they did, now they are blaming everyone else? Typical.
No one has mentioned yet
Posted on 23-02-2015 20:29 | By How about this view!
That the "BUS COMPANY" (Doesn't state which one of course) did not instruct their employee properly???? What is NOT being stated is that there is an ENORMOUS shortfall of bus drivers at this time. I hope that the true facts have been reported accurately and one can only hope that these teething issues are remedied well before the next round of cock-ups, when the students have to pay for their travel (Only a few weeks away now, to total chaos!!)
So where are the buses ?
Posted on 23-02-2015 21:01 | By The Caveman
With all the HIGHLY paid BUS company, REGIONAL council MOB, NOBODY actually knows which school buses are on the road each morning and afternoon ? And more importantly which have not commenced their run and which have NOT completed their run, and thus may have RUN OFF THE ROAD on a country road ! In this day ALL school buses should be "tracked out" for the school run and more importantly TRACKED for the school run. Its called GPS tracking. Oh no bus went out for "that" run -- WHY NOT ????
I agree Annalist
Posted on 24-02-2015 11:10 | By redlindyloo
My son goes to Mt College (his choice) from Welcome Bay - along with a number of other students I see waiting for the Bay Hopper bus in the morning. There is no designated school bus from Welcome Bay to Mt College, they pay for the Bay Hopper. Why are we paying to fund kids that choose to go to a school outside their zone???
Inadequate Communication
Posted on 14-03-2015 01:15 | By Sysa Ed
Unbelievable... The council should keep a regular route for school buses or use some new technology like school bus tracking system(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ83LhoI4N4&feature=youtu.be), that can easily cover all those problems regarding school bus safety...
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.