A WARRACKNABEAL Kindergarten student was locked in a bus for five hours after the driver failed to check the bus after drop-off on Wednesday.
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Yarriambiack Shire Council community services and development manager Gavin Blinman said kindergarten staff thought the girl, 4, would arrive with her mother, who was rostered on to parent duty that day.
Yarriambiack council manages the kindergarten.
Mr Blinman said the alarm was raised when the girl's father came to pick her up at 1.30pm.
He said the bus driver did a check of the bus and did not see the girl.
Staff was told by the bus driver everyone had exited the bus.
The Department of Transport manages the bus company.
Yarriambiack Shire Council chief executive Ray Campling said the Warracknabeal police and the girl's parents found her distressed and dehydrated in the bus after the alarm was raised.
Mr Campling said there were two parties at fault - the bus driver and the kindergarten.
"She must have fallen asleep and slipped between the seats," he said.
"But it is the bus driver's responsibility to ensure all the kids disembark at the kindergarten.
It's just fortunate it wasn't a hot a day."
Mr Blinman said council had produced a preliminary report for the Department of Transport.
"The department will do an investigation to see what happened," he said.
Mr Blinman said council would work with the kindergarten to prevent future incidents.