Safety on school buses. - Real Mum story on MoM

Hi mums,

I am becoming more and more worried and concerned about the safety of our school buses and more importantly the safety of our children that travel on school buses. For years I have worried and been concerned about the fact that school buses can carry children standing up, this also applies to town buses as well (INDEED ALL BUSES) it makes so much sense to be seated due to the risk of falling over whilst standing on a moving bus and lets not even mention the fact of what could happen if there was an accident. Now that leads me to another problem I have, I am confused as to why seat belts are not supplied in buses, yes I am aware it is a shorter trip and one must quickly rise at ones bus stop but we are required to use seat belts in cars by law, so why are buses any different? We are not permitted to stand in a car or truck whist the vehicle is in motion, yet we can travel and our children can travel on a large bus even on long journeys unrestrained and standing without a problem. Viewing school buses every day makes me shutter, seeing crowded buses full to the brim with our young, packed standing up the aisles, I fear is and accident and death waiting to happen. So in closing wondering what your view on buses are also I am aware that some of the buses our beautiful children ride in are defective and I am going to cut and paste a article from the newspaper in-case some of our mums have missed the read. Love to hear your thoughts. Regards cherz.

Police blitz at Busabout’s Smeaton Grange depot finds 32 out of 88 buses had defects
DOZENS of school buses were among those found to have dangerous defects during a police blitz on a bus depot in Western Sydney yesterday.

Police and Roads and Maritime Service officers swooped on the Smeaton Grange depot of Busabout in Sydney’s southwest yesterday. They found 32 out of 88 buses had defects.

A vast majority of the defective buses are used to carry children on busy morning and afternoon school runs.
The defects on the buses included problems with suspension, steering, tyres, brakes and warning lights.

Six of the buses at the depot had “major defects” and three were grounded during the inspections. One had no working brake lights.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the blitz was targeting bus driver fatigue and vehicle standards following a spate of serious bus crashes earlier this month.

Busabout was not linked to those crashes.
It’s not good enough,” Mr Smith said of the defects.

“Passengers getting on a bus and paying for the privilege expect that the vehicle they are getting into is roadworthy and safe.

“Given these large vehicles also transport our children to and from school each day, they must be mechanically sound and able to operate safely all of the time.

“As with other areas of the heavy vehicle industry, maintenance regimes must be followed effectively for the benefit of road safety.”
The Busabout depot targeted in yesterday’s blitz operates public transport and coach services in Liverpool, Lurnea, Casula, Prestons, Glenfield, Miller, Hoxton Park, Austral and Bringelly.

The company will be required to fix the defects and have the buses checked by the RMS before they can return to the roads.

Mr Smith warned other companies that the crackdown would continue.

“Given what we’ve found so far, it’s certainly our intention to continue this audit process,” Mr Smith said.

Police also carried out drug and alcohol tests but the company’s drivers all passed.

Originally published as Buses get an ’F’ in police safety blitz

Posted by cherz, 3rd July 2014

4 Comments

- - mom93821 said
  - 27 Dec 2014
    12:48 pm
Buses should have seat belts and everyone should have to sit; it is dangerous to stand and to not have a seatbelt. I have never understood the lack of rules and regulations regarding bus travel.

- - mom56842 said
  - 21 Sep 2014
    4:31 am
I’ve never understood why we have to buckle up in all other on road vehicles except buses, make a rule and apply it across the board. I can remember catching the school bus, kids packed in like sardines, no seat beats, no standing room left and being forced to grab onto anything that would keep us anchored and not much has changed, sadly.

- - Kelly said
  - 28 Jul 2014
    5:46 pm
Im guessing that different states have different rules as in South Australia all school buses have to be fitted with seat belts and all children have to be seated NO standing is allowed on any school bus.
Public buses are a different kettle of fish they dont have to have seat belts and also are allowed im sure it says 20 standing but ive been on a bus when more than 20 are standing.
Maybe this is something you could write to the education minster about and asking why its so different in different states.
I would of thought that the safety of all children would be the main aim and making all school buses carrying children should be made to have seat belts.

- - arcticwynta said
  - 06 Jul 2014
    1:47 pm
I found my self constantly in contact with the bus drivers or depots when our kids were catching buses