Auckland (Avneet Kaur)
The principal of an Auckland special school says she had raised serious concerns about a school transport provider weeks before the tragic death of eight-year-old Gurshabad Singh, who died after leaving a school van during a journey home.
Natalie Todd, principal of Wairau Valley Special School, said she became concerned about the services being provided by Ritchies Transport after the company took over a Ministry of Education transport contract in April.
Todd said she witnessed a wheelchair-using student being loaded into a vehicle that she believed was not suitable for transporting children with complex needs. Following the incident, she raised her concerns directly with the company and the Ministry of Education.
According to Todd, she warned that the service involved vulnerable children and required a much higher level of care and safety than ordinary passenger transport.
In communications with the ministry, she also expressed concerns that the arrangements could place wheelchair users and other students at greater risk, particularly in the event of an accident.
The Ministry of Education reportedly advised at the time that it was satisfied with the company’s response, while also indicating that vehicle and service audits would be carried out for additional assurance.
The concerns have resurfaced following the death of Gurshabad Singh, an eight-year-old boy on the autism spectrum, who left a school transport van before later being found in a swimming pool in West Auckland.
Todd said learning of the tragedy brought back the concerns she had previously raised and reinforced the importance of ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place for children with additional needs.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Gurshabad’s death. Separate inquiries are also being carried out by the Coroner, WorkSafe and the Ministry of Education.
Ritchies Transport has said it is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigations and would not be commenting further while those processes continue.
Meanwhile, the mother of another student at Wairau Valley Special School says she also raised concerns with both the transport provider and the Ministry of Education last month.
She alleged that transporting wheelchair users alongside other students could create safety risks and claimed drivers were not always provided with sufficient information or training regarding the specific needs of the children they were transporting.
The parent said her concerns eventually led her to withdraw her child from the service and arrange private transport instead.
As investigations continue, questions are being raised about whether additional safety measures may be needed for school transport services used by children with disabilities and complex support needs.
