School transport provider changed just weeks before the death of 8-year-old Gurshabad Singh in West Auckland
A Ritchies school van was taking Gurshabad Singh home when he escaped unnoticed and drowned at a nearby West Auckland property. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A school van service had been taking children to and from school for only a little over a month before a young boy escaped and drowned in a backyard pool.
The heartbroken parents of Gurshabad Singh said the provider had been transporting pupils only from the start of Term 2, when it took over the contract from a taxi company.
The Children’s Commissioner has today told the Herald the death has caused concern for many parents across the country and has urged agencies to put Gurshabad and his family at the forefront of any investigations.
The 8-year-old autistic non-verbal student was on his way home when his parents got a call about 2.30pm to say he had gone missing from a Ritchies van and subsequently drowned.
Gurshabad’s mother said: “There are three harnesses he wears ... a safety lock which you can’t open ... even sometimes I used to struggle with how to open it. And then he had a chest strap and a pinhole lock.
“I don’t know how he managed to escape because usually when they drop the kids, the driver is always there, so I don’t know where he stopped, why he stopped ... I don’t know. I have no answers for these questions.”
The Ministry of Education website shows Ritchies Transport took over the West Auckland Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) contracts on April 20, a little over a month before Gurshabad’s death.
His mother said the driver doing the new shuttle run had introduced himself to her at the start of the second term.
“So before there were taxis. Recently the ministry has changed the taxis into the vans, so this was the first term they were taking him in the van. It was only four, five weeks ... from second term they started vans.
“His driver came and said to us, ‘I’m his driver, I will be coming this time, dropping this time’, and he asked us to choose his seat ... we chose the middle seat for him so he can look outside.”
She has yet to be contacted by Ritchies as an investigation into his death continues.
The Herald has approached the bus company for comment.
Gurshabad’s school told the Herald that schools were “neither consulted nor included in the procurement process” when transport was contracted.
Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said she was “very saddened” to learn of the death.
“I know that the death of Gurshabad is causing concern for many parents and whānau around the country, who are struggling to understand how this occurred and highlighting how important it is to prevent such tragedies.
“All children in New Zealand have the right to be safe at all times, in all circumstances – including on the way to and from school. This includes for all our children who have disabilities.
“I urge all agencies involved to put Gurshabad and his family at the centre of any and all investigations, remembering that all children have the right to be safe at all times, in all circumstances.”
The mother of a 7-year-old autistic non-verbal boy who attends school in Auckland and also uses Ritchies told the Herald she is now “seriously considering” driving her son to school herself.
She said the transport provider she used before moving to Auckland always had a teacher helper in the van with the kids.
“I was uncomfortable when I saw there was no teacher ... these services are more convenient for us, but they’re not trained, they’re just drivers.
“We have enough to worry about, and now we have to worry whether they’re going to get home safely.”
Two weeks ago, her son managed to slip his seatbelt and get out of his seat. She said the van driver stopped the van, called her to inform her, and she drove to pick him up.
A special device had now been fitted to her son’s seatbelt to prevent him from unbuckling it.
The office of Education Minister Erica Stanford was approached for comment and referred the Herald to the Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, an investigation by police and the coroner is underway into the schoolboy’s death, while WorkSafe and the Ministry of Education continue with inquiries.
Gurshabad’s final service was held at a Sikh temple today.