Inquiry into Whakatane bus run | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Inquiry into Whakatane bus run
By HAMISH RUTHERFORD in Whakatane
A company which sub-contracted school bus runs to an unlicensed Whakatane operator is back in charge again as the Ministry of Education waits for a report.
On November 12 the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) ordered eight of Whakatane Coaches' 10 buses off the road because of alleged safety defects found during routine checks.
The authority's Hamilton office manager Glenn Bunting said all of the buses ordered off the road had serious safety defects and the condition of the two remaining buses was "marginal".
The authority also discovered Whakatane Coaches had no licensed operator although it had been operating school bus runs sub-contracted from Waimana company Bell and Hodgson, without the Ministry of Education's knowledge.
Bus companies require the permission of the ministry before sub-contracting runs.
At the time the Ministry of Education said it could cancel the contracts but wanted to establish the facts of the situation before making any decision.
Reporoa Valley Transport owner Kevin Smith took over Whakatane Coaches when the buses were ordered off the road but Bell and Hodgson are now back in charge.
Yesterday senior resource manager Kevin Wilson said Bell and Hodgson had appointed a Whakatane manager and the ministry accepted the situation until the facts of the case were substantiated.
"As Multi Serve [who administer the bus contracts] have advised that the ministry's safety and operating requirements are being met, this arrangement is acceptable until we can take further decisions based on the LTSA's report."
The New Zealand Bus and Coach Association had asked for an inquiry into the Ministry of Education's contract procedures because the situation went undetected for about a year.
Executive director John Collyns said the ministry's regional service agent, Multi Serve, "hadn't gone out and done what we understand they were supposed to be doing" in monitoring the contracts.
Mr Wilson said prior to the Whakatane Coaches situation the ministry was already working with service agents to improve bus operator monitoring.
The Bus and Coach association is also asking the LTSA to prosecute Whakatane Coaches owner Brian Birkett for operating a bus company without a licence.
"We're very anxious that all operators do whatever they can to make sure their transport service complies with the law, and is as safe as it possibly can be," Mr Collyns said.
"We're not at all convinced that that's been the case in this situation."
LTSA regional compliance officer Kevin Nickson said the authority had yet to decide whether to take any such action.
A company which sub-contracted school bus runs to an unlicensed Whakatane operator is back in charge again as the Ministry of Education waits for a report.
On November 12 the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) ordered eight of Whakatane Coaches' 10 buses off the road because of alleged safety defects found during routine checks.
The authority's Hamilton office manager Glenn Bunting said all of the buses ordered off the road had serious safety defects and the condition of the two remaining buses was "marginal".
The authority also discovered Whakatane Coaches had no licensed operator although it had been operating school bus runs sub-contracted from Waimana company Bell and Hodgson, without the Ministry of Education's knowledge.
Bus companies require the permission of the ministry before sub-contracting runs.
At the time the Ministry of Education said it could cancel the contracts but wanted to establish the facts of the situation before making any decision.
Reporoa Valley Transport owner Kevin Smith took over Whakatane Coaches when the buses were ordered off the road but Bell and Hodgson are now back in charge.
Yesterday senior resource manager Kevin Wilson said Bell and Hodgson had appointed a Whakatane manager and the ministry accepted the situation until the facts of the case were substantiated.
"As Multi Serve [who administer the bus contracts] have advised that the ministry's safety and operating requirements are being met, this arrangement is acceptable until we can take further decisions based on the LTSA's report."
The New Zealand Bus and Coach Association had asked for an inquiry into the Ministry of Education's contract procedures because the situation went undetected for about a year.
Executive director John Collyns said the ministry's regional service agent, Multi Serve, "hadn't gone out and done what we understand they were supposed to be doing" in monitoring the contracts.
Mr Wilson said prior to the Whakatane Coaches situation the ministry was already working with service agents to improve bus operator monitoring.
The Bus and Coach association is also asking the LTSA to prosecute Whakatane Coaches owner Brian Birkett for operating a bus company without a licence.
"We're very anxious that all operators do whatever they can to make sure their transport service complies with the law, and is as safe as it possibly can be," Mr Collyns said.
"We're not at all convinced that that's been the case in this situation."
LTSA regional compliance officer Kevin Nickson said the authority had yet to decide whether to take any such action.
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