A school bus driver in east Ottawa left approximately 40 students stranded in a parking lot near the St. Laurent Shopping Centre on Friday afternoon, officials from the Consortium de transport scolaire d’Ottawa (CTSO) confirm.
Incident Details
The students, from Collège catholique Samuel-Genest, were traveling home to the Vanier neighbourhood after school when the incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. The driver returned to the bus depot on Coventry Road, parked the vehicle, and departed, leaving the students behind.
A student or parent promptly contacted Ottawa police to report the situation. Patrick Pharand, director of the CTSO, stated that the company’s regional manager arrived at the scene along with a CTSO staff member to ensure the students remained safe.
“The students were in good hands at all times,” Pharand noted in a statement to parents.
Response and Resolution
CTSO personnel communicated directly with parents during the ordeal. A replacement driver took over to transport any remaining students to their designated stops, while several parents arrived to pick up their children from the location.
Pharand emphasized the seriousness of the breach, adding, “The driver won’t be driving a school bus ever again.”
School and Investigation Background
Collège catholique Samuel-Genest serves students in grades 7 through 12 and operates under the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Ottawa’s French Catholic school board.
The Ottawa Police Service indicates that the matter remains under active investigation.
