Bus safety

[ozbob]

Channel 10 News SAFETY ANGER

Published on 1 Mar 2013

Bus drivers are planning an April protest against the state government.

[SurfRail]

Private bus drivers anyway.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/3/4/back-from-school-with-new-safety-guidelines

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Monday, March 04, 2013

Back from school with new safety guidelines

New guidelines cracking down on students who exploit safe bus travel rules will be rolled out by the Newman Government.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson said the guidelines, recommended by the Bus Safety Committee, would ensure students who repeatedly fare evaded or behaved poorly could be dealt with seriously.

"The new Safe Travel of School Students guidelines are a response to issues raised with me in May last year about students who think they can misbehave or repeatedly fail to pay a fare then exploit a principle, put in place following the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe," Mr Emerson said.

"These new guidelines were developed in consultation with education and transport organisations, including the Department of Education, TransLink, Queensland Bus Industry Council, Brisbane Transport, the Rail Tram and Bus Union, and Transport Workers' Union.

"They will provide clarity for the bus industry, outlining the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers and drivers."

Penalties will range from a warning for offensive behaviour to a permanent ban for attacking a driver or other passengers. This behaviour may also result in court action or prosecution.

"I agree with the principle of 'no child left behind', but unlike the previous government I'm not going to ignore the challenges that come with it," Mr Emerson said.

"I was shocked to learn that a situation had developed over several years where up to half of students on some routes were flatly refusing to pay a fare and telling drivers that their name was Donald Duck.

"There is now a clear distinction between those students who unintentionally have an insufficient bus fare or do not fully understand the public transport network and those who just abuse the system."

The guidelines will be rolled out to bus operators and drivers in the coming months. A full outline of the new guidelines will be available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au

[ozbob]

[Mozz]

http://i.stack.imgur.com/jiFfM.jpg

[somebody]

I fully agree with this initiative.

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Students face life bans for behaving badly on school buses

[somebody]

Life bans for something done as a kid would be going too far.  Surely they can see that.

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast with Spencer Howson  click --> here!

New bus behaviour guidelines

04 March 2013 , 9:23 AM by Spencer Howson

Since Daniel Morcombe's disappearance we've had this No Child Left Behind guideline on Southeast Queensland buses.

But some school students have found a way of taking advantage of No Child Left Behind, by not paying their fare and knowing that they can't be turned away.

Today, the State government announces new guidelines allowing bus drivers to refuse children who abuse the system.

Scott Emerson is the Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Peter Biagini is the Transport Workers Union Qld Secretary:

[ozbob]

My blog comment:

Enforcing behaviour standards is well over due. Very difficult task to drive a school bus. Suggest we move to what most jurisdictions do, no direct fares on school buses and adult bus monitors on board.

Such school transport will also help reduce the need for the 'Toorak Taxis' which make the road precincts around schools much more unsafe than they need to be. Additionally walking/cycling would also be facilitated.

[ozbob]

Managing student behaviour on school buses package 

--> http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/School-transport/Code-of-conduct/Managing-behaviour-on-school-buses.aspx

Really cool bus rules  ... song --> here!

[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

Union says new student bus rules are unworkable

Union says new student bus rules are unworkable
By David Lewis

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says bus drivers cannot be expected to enforce harsher penalties on misbehaving students.

Under new guidelines announced by the Queensland Government, students could be permanently banned from school buses for engaging in physical violence.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson says rules preventing children from being left at bus stops are being exploited by some students catching buses, while others are too unruly.

"The 'no child left behind' policy was brought in after the tragic disappearance of Daniel Morecombe," he said.

"Unfortunately we saw students turning up on some routes and claiming they had no money for a fare and getting free travel on some of these routes.

"As much as half of students getting onboard buses are claiming they had no money for the fares this is clearly a planned way to exploit the system."

Mr Emerson says new penalties range from a warning and five days ban on travel to a permanent ban.

But TWU state secretary Peter Biagini says drivers already have enough responsibilities and could struggle to identify offenders.

"Can you imagine a bus driver having to have 20 to 30 sheets full of IDs, working out who's banned and who's not?" he said.

"Remember, these drivers are on rosters and they're not there doing the same run every day.

"Kids can wear a different hat and look different.

"The only way it's going to operate is to have extra people, an extra person on the bus policing this, ensuring those children that have been banned don't get on the bus."

[#Metro]

Simples. Put a lawyer on every bus and make the parents open to litigation by the bus company, sue everyone in sight!

[Gazza]

It shouldn't be the drivers responsibility anyway, that's what TOs are for.

[SurfRail]

Simples. Put a lawyer on every bus and make the parents open to litigation by the bus company, sue everyone in sight!

I'm doing my bit.

Frankly I think this whole exercise they are going through is a sham, just like the boot camps sham.  Never any votes lost in promising you'll kick some unnpopular group in the backside.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Lord Mayor backs bus driver assault laws

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Union calls for bus barriers after driver assault

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Coast a hot spot for bus assaults