Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will this morning attempt to bring forward debate for the Greens’ bill for compulsory school bus seat belts in the NSW Parliament. Ms Faehrmann will argue that the matter is urgent and deserves the attention of the Parliament immediately given years of delays from government.

“It’s time the government showed their hand on this issue. They’ve delayed for far too long. They have a fully costed solution before them and there is no excuse not to act right now,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“We’ve seen so many delays now the whole thing is beyond a joke. If passed, the bill will simply see the key recommendations of the government’s own School Bus Safety Advisory Committee become law, but with a five year instead of ten year phase in for compulsory seat belts on regional and rural school buses.

“There simply isn’t any remaining excuses for not taking immediate action given the affordable and reasonable solution provided by the Advisory Committee and costed by Transport for NSW.

“The Greens bill is the culmination of years of hard work by parents across the state—parents who, sick with worry, for far too long have put their kids on school buses that do not have seatbelts. I have been working on this issue since late 2010, but even that is only a fraction of the time that has gone into this long-overdue reform. Some of the parents I have spoken to have been campaigning for seatbelts since their grown up kids were in primary school.

“Seat belts for school buses on regional routes is a no brainer and it should have happened a decade ago. It’s time the NSW Parliament acted and the Greens are giving the government that opportunity now,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Read Cate’s speech from when she introduced the bill here.

Read a summary of the bill’s provisions here.

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has launched her bill to require school buses on regional routes to be fitted with seat belts, and to prevent standing on dangerous routes.

Radio interview: Cate on 702 Mornings with Linda Mottram talking school bus seat belts

After yesterday’s tragic school bus accident near Singleton in which an eight year old boy died and several other students were injured, Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will begin talks with NSW Government to allow the passage of the Greens Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Amendment (Child Safety on School Buses) Bill 2012. The bill will require school buses to be fitted with seatbelts.

“This is a terrible tragedy and our first thoughts are with the young boy’s family, friends and classmates,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“The media has reported this morning that the boy was thrown through a window upon impact. This is a shocking thing to hear and highlights the urgent need for seat belts to be mandatory on school buses.

“Parents, particularly those living in regional areas, have been concerned about the safety of their kids travelling on school buses for years now. There have been repeated calls by parents for the government to make seat belts mandatory.

A NSW Government Advisory Committee has been considering the issue of school bus safety for almost eighteen months, but no recommendations have been made to government and no action has been taken.

“I understand the report from the Advisory Committee is in its final stages. I urge the government to fast track the release of this report.

“In April this year I gave the Parliament notice that I would bring in a bill to make seat belts compulsory on school buses, starting with those in non-urban areas travelling along the most dangerous route.

“I now intend to introduce this bill urgently and will be calling on all parties, including the government, to support this long overdue and essential step to making school buses as safe as possible.

“The NSW Government has had a number of reminders of the seriousness of this issue, with a number of recent non-fatal crashes.

“All states except NSW and Victoria have made seatbelts on school buses mandatory – usually after a serious bus accident. It will be inexcusable if the NSW Government still refuses to act,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will today give notice of the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Amendment (Child Safety on School Buses) Bill 2012.

The bill will amend the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 to mandate that buses be fitted with seatbelts and make further provisions with respect to the safety of children travelling on school buses. The initial target of a phase in period will be the most dangerous routes that include unsealed roads and roads or highways 80 kpm or over.

The bill comes after two school bus crashes in the month of March, with yesterday’s crash at Maclean resulting in eight injuries including one hospitalisation.

“The Greens bill is a wake-up call for the NSW Government and a chance to take some urgent action. All states except NSW and Victoria have made seatbelts on school buses mandatory – usually after a serious bus accident. It’s inexcusable that the NSW government is still refusing to act,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“It’s been a year since the School Bus Safety Advisory Committee was established. What has it achieved so far? The government has had access to the list of the most dangerous routes for years; it’s not good enough that we’re still waiting for recommendations from yet another committee.

“The slow rate of progress with the committee does nothing to inspire confidence in parents – they want seat belts and better rules on speed, standing and other concrete measures to improve safety for their kids.

“The Greens will welcome the committee’s recommendations but this very slow process can’t be used to justify delaying action that is inevitable. It’s simply taken way too long. It’s time to fast track the installation of seat belts and the Greens bill will provide that opportunity,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727

Responding to news of yet another school bus crash, this time involving a collision with a car near Taree resulting in a 12 year old boy receiving minor head injuries, Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has asked how many crashes need to occur before the NSW Government takes urgent and serious action on seat belts.

“It’s been almost a year since the NSW Government’s School Bus Safety Advisory Committee was established. Yet we’ve known all along what’s required: an urgent mandate on the refitting of school buses on regional routes, with priority to those on the most dangerous,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“The government has had access to assessments of the most dangerous routes for years, it’s not good enough that we’re still waiting for recommendations from yet another committee.

“Established in April 2011, the Committee has met only four times, issued three press releases, and asked for submissions. This rate of progress does nothing to inspire confidence in parents – they want seat belts and better rules on speed, standing and other concrete measures to improve safety for their kids.

“It’s unclear whether seat belts were on this particular school bus. But what is clear is that these accidents do happen. Do we have to wait for a tragic accident before the government acts?

“The government is using the committee as an excuse to delay action that is inevitable and already long overdue. It’s time to fast track the installation of seat belts on the most dangerous routes as identified years ago,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727