Safety on School Buses CN967

Safety on School Buses

After some incidents on local school buses that led to children being injured, in 2024 I and other parents contacted our local MP’s to ask that buses on school runs be fitted with seat belts.
Both Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford and Gordon Reid, Member for Robertson, referred the issue to Jenny Aitchison, the NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport.
To paraphrase the response:

• Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 require all regular route services to be timetabled as accessible services.
• Seat belts are not compatible with the needs of passengers who require the amenity of flip-down seats to accommodate trolleys, mobility aids, prams, and back rests for wheelchair users.
• Local bus services did not pass the Transport for NSW risk-based assessments.
• Even if the risk threshold was exceeded only dedicated school buses would be fitted with seat belts

An investigation by By Brandon Long and Liam McNally of the ABC found:
WA mandated seatbelts on all school buses 20 years ago, but the rest of the country still allows children to travel unrestrained.
Various governments have cited high costs and logistical challenges as a barrier.
Vehicle standards introduced after the 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash will require seatbelts in all models by 2027, but key exemptions remain.
Now Queensland parents are pushing for compulsory school bus seatbelts and one Queensland mum pointed out: “You can get into so much trouble with a kid not having a seatbelt in your car,” Ms Crocker said.
“Even a dog on the back of a ute has to be restrained, but we’re putting kids on buses that are travelling on the same road as big road trains.”
Check the full ABC story at:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-12/parents-urge-government-to-make-school-bus-seatbelts-compulsory/105393710

A NSW program that ended in 2024 saw 82 additional dedicated school buses in outer metropolitan areas being retrofitted with seat belts.
Let’s face it, the real reasons for not having seat belts fitted to all school run buses are cost and increased difficulty in co-ordinating bus operations.
All users need seatbelts and large items should be restrained when buses travel on rural roads,.
In taxis, wheelchairs are extremely well secured.
Kids are used to wearing seat belts, they have been using them all their lives. If I’m slow in buckling up, my kids are quick to remind me.
A risk-based approach just means that the Government is willing to accept a “small” number of kids being maimed or killed in exchange for savings in the budget.
Why wait for a disaster?
Keith Aranjo