NZTA issues urgent audit after Mt Ruapehu bus crash

  • 02/08/2018
Hannah Francis died in after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus rolled halfway down Ohakune Mountain Rd.
Hannah Francis died in after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus rolled halfway down Ohakune Mountain Rd. Photo credit: Newshub.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has issued an urgent audit into the fleet of vehicles owned by a Ruapehu bus company after one of its buses crashed last week, killing a young girl.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Francis died in Saturday's crash after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) bus rolled halfway down Ohakune Mountain Rd.

Thirty-one people were on the RAL shuttle bus when it crashed just after 2:30pm, and 20 were injured. 

NZTA has issued an urgent audit of passenger vehicles of all RAL fleet vehicles.

NZTA Director Transport Access and Delivery Robert Brodnax says RAL voluntarily suspended their bus operations after the vehicles were inspected on Wednesday.

Independent of the police investigation into the crash, NZTA is investigating RAL's transport operations.

RAL Chief Executive Ross Copland is hoping passengers involved in the accident will contact them.

"Our priority this week has been connecting with everyone on that bus, however privacy restrictions have made this a challenge," he said.

"We would like to ensure that passengers are on the road to recovery, well supported and also keep them updated with the investigation that's underway."

Newshub.