TRANSDEV AUSTRALIASIA reminded motorists to give way and share the road with buses, light rail and other public transport services as part of National Road Safety Week (17-23 May), recently.
With the company citing 2021 research from vehicle manufacturer Ford Australia that suggests many drivers aren’t as familiar with road rules as they were before the pandemic – with many parts of the country staying off the roads and at home during part of 2020 – Transdev Australasia chief Safety and Assurance officer Huw Bridges says everyone had a role to play in helping to keep roads safe.
“Safety on the road is the responsibility of every road user,” Bridges stated.
“Our responsibility is to train and help our drivers to be the safest they can be on the road. It’s a collective responsibility we share with private road users, and we encourage everyone to know the rules and to their bit to keep people safe.”
Nationally, it is a requirement for passenger vehicles to give way to buses, and all passenger transport vehicles display a distinctive driver-side sticker advising of the rule.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians should take extra caution around train and light rail crossings and motorists should never turn in front of a light rail vehicle.
ADDITIONAL DISTANCE
Bridges explains that by being much smaller and lighter than bus, train or light rail vehicles, passenger vehicles often sustained greater chances of damage or injury in the event of a collision.
“Light-rail vehicles weigh the equivalent of 30 rhinos and the average bus weighs the same as three African elephants, and they do need additional distance to stop or manoeuvre,” he said.
“Our teams across the country work with schools, road users and government to deliver education and training to ensure that safety remains top of mind.”
ABOUT TRANSDEV
Transdev believes public transport plays an important part in how a city comes to life, it says. Its day-to-day work influences families, friends and future generations where they live, work and play, it explains.
In Australasia, Transdev has 5,704 people passionate about operating its 2,150 vehicles and vessels, which deliver more than 145 million customer journeys each year, it states.
Photography: courtesy Transdev Australasia