Article: Driver abandons school bus

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Driver abandons school bus

Driver abandons school bus
April 20, 2012 - 12:33PM

A bus driver who abandoned a bus full of school students on the Gold Coast has said the children set off a fire extinguisher, looked at porn on their mobiles and were verbally abusive.

The driver of the Surfside bus walked off a bus full of Helensvale school students on Wednesday afternoon after pulling over by the side of the road and the Transport Workers Union has said the bus company is considering sacking the driver.

A spokeswoman for Transit Australia Group –the parent company of Surfside – said the company are today interviewing a number of people involved and are meeting with the principal of Helensvale State High School as part of their investigation.

She said the company would not be taking any action in regards to the bus driver until they had the results of their investigation.

TAG are also planning to send representatives to every school on the Gold Coast to talk to students about what the appropriate behaviour is when on a bus.

TWU organiser Michael Wong said the driver had said he was verbally abused by students before they set off the fire extinguisher and some of the students were looking at porn on their mobiles in front of much younger students.

Mr Wong said the driver radioed for help before pulling over and walking off the bus to a Helensvale school 500 metres away to talk to teachers. A substitute bus driver was brought in to drive the rest of the route.

"The driver determined the situation was dangerous and at all times acted in the safety of the children and other road users," he said.

"It has been suggested schools look at using guardian figures to sit on the bus with the children, they could be retirees, grandparents.

"It's certainly an issue that needs to be addressed."

The bus driver has not been at work since the incident and Gold Coast TWU organiser Troy Fernandez said TAG were considering disciplinary action "up to and including termination".

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/driver-abandons-school-bus-20120420-1xbet.html

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Attack on driver prompts Gold Coast bus company to threaten to ban all students from Helensvale State High School

Attack on driver prompts Gold Coast bus company to threaten to ban all students from Helensvale State High School

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    May 10, 2012 10:38AM

A GOLD Coast bus company is considering banning students from Helensvale State High School from its rounds after a driver was king hit during the school run yesterday.

A 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulted the driver after boarding the Surfside bus Wednesday afternoon.

Students of the same school were abandoned by a bus driver a few weeks ago after they apparently set off a fire extinguisher and were verbally abusive.

In that incident, the Education Department denied the students' behavior was inappropriate after viewing video footage, and found the bus driver was in the wrong.

Scott Connolly from the Transport Workers Union said the driver who was punched yesterday was "battered and bruised" as a result of the "unacceptable assault".

"These are some of society's lowest paid workers. They are just trying to drive our kids to and from school and should not be treated in this way," Mr Connolly said.

"It appears the only step we can take is to ban that particular school in the absence of any action being taken by the school or authorities in the next 24 to 48 hours."

He said it would not be the first time a bus company had refused to service a particular school because of the behavior of students.

"It happens from time to time but is usually resolved after a period of discussion and negotiation," Mr Connolly said.

Police had been alerted to the latest incident, which happened while the bus was en route but not actually in motion.

The TWU has previously called for duress alarms to be installed on buses and other security after a spate of attacks on drivers.

The Courier-Mail is awaiting a response from the Education Department.

[justanotheruser]

I find it interesting how quickly people are to use the Daniel Morecomb line. While that was a tragic event I don't think that students should take it as a license to be unruly. I have seen kids who know full well that the driver isn't supposed to leave them behind so they don't care about having money. i did tell one driver when they commented that kids at a stop would want to get on without paying that they could refuse because the kids were smoking and therefore it is reasonable to assume they were 18 years old. That has actually been tested in a court of law.

It would be interestingthough to see the video footage. Schools these days are vey much into PR so while they may come out publicly and say they were not in the wrong that may not be their private opinion.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!  Updated:

Attack on driver prompts Gold Coast bus company to threaten to ban all students from Helensvale State High School

A SENIOR Education Queensland official says it would be ''inappropriate'' for a bus company to ban students from a Gold Coast high school after a bus driver was allegedly king hit.

The Transport Workers Union is pushing for Surfside Buslines to boycott Helensvale State High after the alleged attack on Wednesday afternoon.

But Education Queensland regional director Glen Hoppner has called the incident isolated and also suggested the driver may be to blame.

He said the student and his parents had lodged a counter-complaint about the driver's behaviour "the very first thing this morning".

Mr Hoppner said video footage of the incident captured by the bus's security camera showed the driver walking to the back of the bus but what happened next was "inconclusive".

He said students and a teacher who were on the bus were being interviewed in a joint investigation by the school and busline.

"The school ... will take whatever action is appropriate," he said.

''Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated. But we will investigate it fully to find out what the causes and what the issues were on the bus yesterday afternoon.

''There are very conflicting stories about that."

Mr Hoppner said Surfside and Helensvale High had a "great relationship", with up to 40 buses a day used to transport students to and from school and sport.

''I think any talk of bans of school students on those buses is inappropriate at this stage," he said.

"What we do have is a single incident at this stage."

He said another incident involving Helensvale High students, who were abandoned by a Surfside bus driver after allegedly setting off fire extinguishers and hurling abuse, had been misreported.

"The video footage footage on that incident showed conclusively that when the driver was on that bus, there was not one ounce of student behaviour problem," Mr Hoppner said.

A 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulted the driver after boarding the Surfside bus Wednesday afternoon.

Scott Connolly from the Transport Workers Union said the driver who was punched yesterday was "battered and bruised" as a result of the "unacceptable assault".

"These are some of society's lowest paid workers. They are just trying to drive our kids to and from school and should not be treated in this way," Mr Connolly said.

"It appears the only step we can take is to ban that particular school in the absence of any action being taken by the school or authorities in the next 24 to 48 hours."

He said it would not be the first time a bus company had refused to service a particular school because of the behavior of students.

"It happens from time to time but is usually resolved after a period of discussion and negotiation," Mr Connolly said.

Police had been alerted to the latest incident, which happened while the bus was en route but not actually in motion.

The TWU has previously called for duress alarms to be installed on buses and other security after a spate of attacks on drivers.