A frustrated family has reached the limit of patience. After a school transport year filled with incidents, the latest event occurred on Monday, March 25, when a four-year-old child fell asleep on the bus en route to school and no one noticed he was still there after the other students got off. Neither the monitors accompanying the students on the bus nor the driver who continued on the scheduled route realized that a small child lay sleeping at the back. The driver eventually reached the company’s depots and, while inspecting the vehicle, discovered the child. This account is documented in the family’s complaint to the education inspectorate of the regional department and to Monbús, the transport company involved.
When the driver became aware that a child was on the bus, he carried the boy to the educational center in his private vehicle. The school notified the family, who remain astonished by the events. They say they cannot stop thinking about what could have happened if the driver had not noticed the child. It is clear that the monitors did not check the bus after the students left for class. But what if the driver had not checked that day? The school would have assumed the child did not attend, triggering alarms when the family came to pick him up at 5 p.m. The child could have spent eight hours alone on the bus. The family has been unsettled since learning what occurred and has filed a complaint to ensure the incident is publicized. They ask to remain anonymous, emphasizing that what matters is the event itself, not the individuals involved.
The school involved is the CEIP Santo Ángel de la Guarda in Valencia, a center that has faced consequences from service shortcomings and has accumulated complaints about school transport since the term began. The service is described by parents as substandard and chaotic, with daily route delays and days when buses arrive empty and must return for other students because two buses are needed for every trip. Buses from other operators have appeared, and even the city bus interurban line has been used for student transport. Seats are sometimes lacking in vehicles, and breakdowns are common. Delays cause many students to arrive late to class, which means staff also arrive late to work. The Parents Association at the school notes similar concerns and points to frequent changes of monitors who accompany students on trips. They also highlight a marked shortage of staff for the youngest students, ages two and three, and stress that there has been no effective point of contact with the transport company. “There is total indifference and no response to the complaints,” they conclude.
Evidence suggests that the problems are ongoing, and this week the patience of families has run out. Following the four-year-old incident, the next day the bus broke down on the way to school, leaving children aged two to nine effectively trapped for more than an hour. As a result, the Parents Association is calling on the Education Department to address a problem that has persisted since the start of the year.
The Education Department has stated that the educational inspection is collecting information to determine exactly what happened with the four-year-old left on the bus. Regarding the rest of the complaints about the school transport company, the department says the case file is moving forward because such procedures take time.