Three sufferers from the Hunter Valley bus crash in June have met with the federal transport minister to put forward a seven-point bus safety plan
Following the Hunter Valley bus crash in June, a survivor of the crash, a grieving dad and the groom’s father from the wedding have called for the federal government to establish a national taskforce to look into the bus and coach industry’s safety protocols.
Crash survivor Alex Tigani suffered minor injuries from the crash and spoke to 9News, calling for politicians to look into bus industry safety.
Adam Bray lost his son Zach in the crash and has joined Tigani alongside father of the groom John Gaffney in asking federal transport minister Catherine King to fund a national taskforce to look into safety in the bus industry.
“Here’s a chance where as a nation we can bring a nation together and, where needed, international people to make a big difference,” Gaffney told 9News.
Gaffney has experience in the industry as a road safety engineer. He says the slope and design of the road that the bus crashed on shows that some roads aren’t safe enough.
“When I say there’s a gap in preventative safety for buses, it’s more than a gap, it’s non-existent,” Bray says.
The group handed King a plan that includes seven points, such as making speed limiting and monitoring devices mandatory similar to a black box in an airplane.
Bray is hoping for a serious commitment from King following a meeting with the minister.
“Unfortunately it was a rather quick meeting and we spent more time with some of her team than with the minister herself,” Bray says.
King has since acknowledged the meeting went ahead, saying she asked the department to provide advice on proposals.