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The child was relatively ok
The toddler was taken to a hospital for an "extensive medical assessment" and was "reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed," Harrison said.
Parent was aware:
The suspect asked to access the compartment during the stop, said Harrison, acting crime manager for the Auckland-adjacent district of Waitematā.
"The driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving," he said. "When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl."
It wasn't a cost issue:
The bus line says online that children up to 2 years old travel free if they do so on a guardian's lap. Children 3 and older may travel with guardians, but that requires a child ticket, usually sold at a deeply discounted rate.