A committee formed to advise government on school bus safety has recommended seatbelts on regional and rural services
By Sean Muir |
October 29, 2012
The School Bus Safety Community Advisory Committee report has called for seatbelts on regional and rural services.
Presenting the School Bus Safety in Rural and Regional New South Wales report to the State Government today, the advisory committee recommends that within the next 10 years seatbelts should be installed on all regional and rural school buses, outside lower-speed urban areas.
The recommendations come after increased pressure from lobby groups for mandatory seatbelts on school buses following a fatal crash involving a truck and a bus in the Hunter Valley last month.
Committee representative BusNSW Executive Director Darryl Mellish has welcomed the report’s recommendations.
“BusNSW have consistently indicated in seatbelt debates that operators support what their passengers want and are committed to school bus safety,”
Mellish says.
“The industry acknowledges and understands that the risk of a serious school bus accident is supporting
these recommendations and we are pleased to note the report identifies school bus travel as a very safe mode of travel, with most fatalities and serious injuries occurring outside the bus.”
Mellish says BusNSW has identified a number of key issues relating to funding and implementation, and will inform operators once aware of the government’s approach to the recommendations.
A copy of the full report submittedto the government is available the BusNSW website at www.busnsw.com.au