The Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) is calling on the federal government to maintain existing diesel fuel standards and prioritise supply, as more passengers shift to buses amid rising fuel costs.
The peak body has also urged the government to avoid changes to sulphur content while advocating for practical steps to manage fuel demand.
BIC executive director Varenya Mohan-Ram warns of potential pressure on public transport as schools return next week.
“Around 18 per cent of students travel to school by bus, and about half of pensioners use public transport each week. Any disruption to diesel supply or fleet reliability would be felt immediately by our most vulnerable Australians,” he says.
“The industry appreciates the government’s recognition that fuel affordability and availability are critical to keep buses running.”
The calls come as Australia’s bus and coach industry relies almost entirely diesel – around 98 per cent of vehicles use it as their primary fuel while buses account for around 53 per cent of all public transport trips each day.
Mohan-Ram says several states introducing fare relief measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and encourage public transport use has also seen increased patronage.
Victoria and Tasmania have implemented free public transport, while Queensland has reduced fares to 50 cents.
“Fare relief has been an important cost-of-living measure, and the bus industry strongly supports it,” he says.
“With more people shifting to public transport, bus networks need to be prioritised to ensure communities can continue to move safely and reliably.”
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At the same time, the industry is warning against any changes to diesel sulphur content, citing risks to fleet performance and reliability.
“Diesel sulphur limits exist for a reason. Modern bus engines are not designed to operate on higher sulphur diesel. Any change would risk widespread vehicle damage and service disruptions at a time when public transport is more important than ever,” Mohan-Ram says.
Advice from OEMs indicates that higher-sulphur diesel can lead to increased engine wear, emissions system failures and reduced fleet availability.
“These vehicles are critical national assets. Compromising fuel quality would jeopardise the reliability of bus services that millions of Australians rely on every day,” Mohan-Ram says.
BIC also pointed to measures that could help manage demand, including work-from-home arrangements for non-essential employees and staggered start times.
“Measures such as work from home arrangements for non-essential government employees or staggering start times can help ease peak demand and reduce pressure on fuel supply,” he says.
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