‘Terrified for his safety’: More parents raise concerns as Ministry confirms system-wide review

Saturday, 6 June 2026

The Ministry of Education is undertaking a “system-wide review” of special school transport as more parents sound the alarm over safety in the wake of the death of 8-year-old Gurshabad Singh.

The ministry said it would ”not wait to take action”, with the review of the Specialised School Transport Assistance scheme (SESTA) “ensuring” roles and responsibilities were “clearly understood” and standards “consistently met in practice”.

The probe would also identify “areas for improvement” in relation to safety.

Email the reporter: laura.frykberg@stuffdigital.co.nz

Singh, who was on the autism spectrum, died on May 25 after escaping a Ritchies Transport-operated van and drowning in a pool on the way home from his Auckland special school.

Police and the coroner are investigating. Ritchies has previously said it is cooperating and it was “not appropriate to comment further”.

This week the principal of another Auckland special school revealed that she raised “serious concerns” about Ritchies’ suitability to operate the scheme a month before Singh’s death.

Mum: ‘He was scratched all over his arms’

Now, a Wellington mother has told Stuff her autistic son was assaulted by another special needs child on a SESTA-funded van last month and she is “terrified for his safety”.

The woman said she knew something was wrong when she arrived to collect her son on May 7 and heard him “screaming” in the vehicle.

“I saw the student in front of him, who was a lot bigger, reaching over the seat and grabbing at his arms and chest and hands and yelling at him,” the mother said.

“Once I got him, he was hyperventilating and really stressed out. He was scratched all over his arms and hands and shoulders. They were absolutely torn to shreds.”

She said she immediately complained to her son’s school and van operator Uzabus, which began the SESTA contract in term two. She said both were apologetic but she had no concerns for her son’s safety before this term.

The ministry overhauled the SESTA scheme earlier this year, shifting services from taxi pools to dedicated vehicles. It has said providers were assessed on a “combination of quality and price”.

The Wellington mother said the “configuration of the [Uzabus] vans and close proximity of the special needs kids was a problem from the get-go.

“I’m not blaming Uzabus. I think they have some unrealistic parameters to work with.

“Drivers have specific instructions to drive the vehicle and not to touch the kids, which is why I think the fact that there is only one driver in the van, and no one else trained managing these behaviours, is mad.”

Stuff approached Uzabus and the boy’s school for comment.

Dad: ‘Issues point to systemic risks’

In another newly revealed case, the Auckland father of an 8-year-old autistic boy said he had withdrawn his son from his school’s SESTA transport provider, Cross Country Rentals, after another child escaped the van his son was in on May 6.

His son, who was non-verbal, had arrived home several hours late and had “partially undone his five-point harness and freed his arms”.

The dad said the school had been “incredibly supportive” and Cross Country Rentals had “taken the concerns seriously”.

“I appreciate that [Gurshabad Singh’s] case was a different transport provider, but the issues point to broader systemic risks within specialist school transport services,” he said.

“When children with complex needs are transported by one driver responsible for driving and supervision, there is potential for safety issues to go unnoticed.”

There had been “no problems” before the change in transport providers this term, the father said. However a new driver was now expected to transport “5-6” kids, rather than “2-4” as was the case.

Cross Country Rentals told Stuff it was “unable to go into specific details about a student’s situation”.

But a statement from director James Snelgrove said: “Every student deserves to arrive home safely. That expectation sits at the heart of everything our team does and is backed up by our robust training, approved by the Ministry of Education, and that is underpinned by strong processes we have in place including communication with schools and parents.”

Ministry: ‘Failure to meet standards wholly unacceptable’

When Stuff asked the ministry if it would review the entire scheme in light of Singh’s death and the new complaints, the ministry confirmed it would.

“We understand that parents need confidence in this service. We are actively managing it, identifying and addressing where it can be strengthened, and taking steps to make sure our services remain fit for purpose,” it said.

“Providers must meet clear obligations at all times, including maintaining safe and suitable vehicles, and having appropriately trained staff.

“Any failure to meet these standards is wholly unacceptable. Where issues are identified, we work directly with providers and schools to address them and reduce the risk of them happening again.

“The SESTA programme itself has not changed in its design or funding. However, contracts with transport providers are periodically reviewed and renewed, and new contracts began in Term 2. All providers are required to meet strict safety and service standards.”