Ontario school bus driver suspended after girl dropped hundreds of metres from regular stop

An Ontario school bus driver has been suspended after a nine-year-old girl was dropped off hundreds of metres from her regular stop.

When Julia Hamlet went to meet her daughter at her stop Tuesday, she says she wasn’t there. Hamlet says the driver was vague, suggesting she may have dropped the girl off further back on the road.

Hamlet's daughter says the driver told her she couldn’t go any further on the route.

"I don't understand. They can just drop off the kid, especially if the kid can speak up and say 'Look, this is not the right place?'" Hamlet told CTV News Wednesday. "Why would they literally force you off the bus?"

After 10 frantic minutes of walking along the bus route, Hamlet found her daughter crying and struggling in slippery weather.

Hamlet contacted her daughter’s school, the bus company, and York Regional Police but felt that no one took her concerns seriously.

"We take the safety of our students very seriously and have launched an investigation into this incident, both at the school and with our transportation provider," the York Catholic District School Board said in a statement.

A board spokesperson adds that the driver has been “temporarily removed from service” pending the outcome of the investigations.

In a separate statement, bus operator First Student also stressed a focus on student safety and a spokesperson says they are “thankful the student is safe.”

While Hamlet is gratified that the driver has been pulled off the road for now, she still wants to know how the early drop-off happened and what will be done to prevent a repeat on another route.