Seatbelts Installed on Rural and Regional School Buses

Last week we learned that the NSW Rural and Regional Bus Seatbelt Program has installed seatbelts on the 80 dedicated school buses in the Goulburn electorate. This is welcome news for students, parents and teachers alike, given that from 2016 to 2020 35 per cent of all bus passengers injured in crashes were children aged 5 to 16 years, and one in four bus passengers injured were on a school bus.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the program is delivering real outcomes for regional communities by making sure students can travel safely to and from school.

“Student safety is our top priority and with the completion of this $237 million program school students will now buckle up on their way to school,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“This program is about saving lives and we know that there is a higher degree of risk attached to school bus travel in rural and regional areas with buses frequently travelling and stopping on unsealed roads and roads outside urban areas.

“Many of the roads school buses travel have a speed limit of 80 km/h and above and it is crucial that we do not compromise the safety of our students as they travel to and from school.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the NSW Government had completed the NSW Rural and Regional Bus Seatbelt Program two years ahead of schedule.

“More than 200,000 students will be able to wear a seatbelt on school buses delivering a welcome boost in bus safety for school children right across regional NSW.

“The NSW Government invested $237 million to help keep our kids safer on regional roads and today marks the successful completion of the program.

“Regional school buses frequently have to travel on unsealed roads and on roads outside urban areas with a speed limit of 80 km/h and above and now thanks to these seat-belted buses inservice, we know our children will be safer,” Mr Farraway said.

• Topics:

• Education / Training
• School Safety
• Road Safety