Following accepting recent recommendations from the state’s Bus Safety Taskforce to make buses and coaches safer, the NSW government is now considering further laws.
Recently the state government confirmed it would accept the five recommendations made by the taskforce through its first safety report that came following the Hunter Valley crash in June.
The five recommendations including the implementation of a rural and regional seatbelts program for outer metropolitan areas to retrofit seatbelts on school buses, a road safety campaign raising awareness for wearing seatbelts on buses and a drive from Transport for NSW considering how operators can best help with current seatbelt obligations.
The taskforce also recommended examining risks involved with standees on buses as well as considering a change to an 80km/h speed rule for dedicated bus services with standing passengers.
This is also set to expand to coaches, with the Hunter Valley crash pushing the NSW government to consider implementing wider seatbelt laws for passengers onboard coaches.
During the taskforce’s process, it says that it heard from a concerned parent who reporting that her children travel on a route with 100km/h stretches without wearing a seatbelt.
It’s this feedback that pushed the first bus safety report, which the NSW government is now moving on and vowing to consider and/or implement recommendations.