Driver pulled out of Ministry of Education transport services amid probe
A Northland school bus driver has been stood down from all Ministry of Education transport services while authorities investigate allegations that the driver had drank alcohol while on duty outside a Whangārei primary school, according to reports.
Julia Hardacre, the ministry's acting hautū, operations and integration, confirmed the driver has been removed from service pending the outcome of inquiries by the bus operator Ritchies.
"We are taking this matter extremely seriously," Hardacre said, as reported by the New Zealand Herald and Northern Advocate.
"The next steps sit with the police, the employer, and the employee."
Alleged drinking at work
The action follows a complaint from a parent who alleges they saw the driver drinking from a beer can while parked outside Parua Bay School in Whangārei Heads on February 12, according to a report from the Northern Advocate.
The parent told the Northern Advocate they initially saw the driver take a swig from what they believed was a can of beer.
They also saw the driver holding a can of Haagen Lager, which had an alcohol content of 7.2%, when they opened the bus's passenger door.
According to the report, the parent and acting principal Kate Fortune also allegedly found one empty beer can and two unopened cans when they checked the driver's bag.
In a letter to parents, Fortune and board presiding member Jemma Scott‑Davidson said the acting principal phoned Ritchies immediately.
Ritchies confirmed to the Northern Advocate it was conducting its own investigation into the incident but declined to provide further comment while that process is under way.
In their communication to families, Fortune and Scott‑Davidson said the school would meet Ritchies to review what had been done and to discuss measures to prevent any repeat of the alleged behaviour.
According to the report, they also acknowledged seeing public comments suggesting some people had previously observed erratic driving or drinking, but said the school itself had not been aware of any safety or suitability concerns about the driver until the incident was formally reported.
Meanwhile, Hardacre reiterated the ministry's commitment to student welfare, adding that all school transport drivers must hold a passenger endorsement and be safety checked under the Children's Act 2014.
"The ministry expects all transport providers to operate within legislation and to have clear rules around the safe operating of services, including the consumption of alcohol," she said as quoted by the Northern Advocate.
