The group, made up of people impacted by the Hunter Valley bus crash, has presented to BIC as it continues to develop a seven-point plan to present to ministers
A group made up of three people deeply impacted by the Hunter Valley bus crash has presented to the Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) ahead of its submission to federal transport ministers in the coming weeks.
The Australian Buses Preventative Safety Taskforce has been formed, headed up by father of the groom John Gaffney and recognised road safety expert Adam Bray, who is the father of one of the crash’s victims, as well as survivor of the crash Alex Tigani.
BIC has announced it met with the group before a taskforce meeting with federal transport minister Catherine King.
The group discussed the safety record of the bus and coach industry and combined technical backgrounds on standards with the ideas of the taskforce, with BIC yet to consider it formally.
The taskforce will present King with a seven-point plan, calling for the federal government to establish a national taskforce to review safety protocols in the bus and coach industry.
The plan includes:
1. Compulsory provision of and wearing of seat belts on all buses including mini buses
2. Coach bus operators to provide a fully trained professional “safety attendant” similar to commercial airline flight attendants to manage passenger seat belt wearing and other in cabin safety protocols
3. An intensive and sustained education program on seat belt wearing to the general public until a similar level of wearing is achieved to that of driving in cars
4. Improved selection, training and ongoing education for bus drivers including psychometric testing and the compulsory fitting of real time driver monitoring systems readily available in the market
5. A review of road design standards on motorway interchanges where the posted speed limit is well above the design standard
6. Bus roll over standards to be reviewed immediately including bus window glass and emergence access and egress. Bus rollover and stability test to be enhanced to provide for worst case loadings
7. All Australian buses to be equipped with the world’s best onboard and real time safety equipment such as:
- Speed limiters on all buses
- Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA)
- Vehicle Rollover Warning System – All heavy vehicles should have Roller Stability Control (RSC) technology installed especially buses
- eCall and bCall where emergency response to a traffic centre is automated following a crash or breakdown
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB installed on all buses
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems to be fitted to all buses carrying paid passengers
- A minimum standard test for a loaded bus for braking distance
- Lane Departure Warning System be provided on all buses
- As with aeroplanes all buses be fitted with data loggers (black box) which are regularly monitored using telematics for measuring speed and driver behaviour, against speed limits and traffic and weather conditions. Monitoring could be undertaken by existing government bodies such as the Transport Certification Australia’s (TCA) – Intelligence Access Program (IAP). Non-compliant drivers can be reported to the authorities for prosecution and bus companies notified
- Legislation changes to allow all buses carrying passengers to be monitored by authorities.
In response to this request, senator and assistant transport minister Carol Brown has organised a bus safety roundtable.
Brown has indicated that some form of bus safety forum or summit will be held to consider the proposal put forward by the taskforce, with the BIC invited to be an active participant.