Transcript - ABC Radio Newcastle, Drive with Jenny Marchant

JENNY MARCHANT [HOST]: You probably always put your seatbelt on in the car, but what about on a bus? Today, the Federal Government announced that new buses with seatbelts will be required to have audio announcements telling people to wear those seatbelts. They'll be signs, too, on the back of the seats. These changes are in response to the 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash, where, as you probably well know, 10 wedding guests were killed near Greta. John Gaffney is the father of the groom whose wedding the bus departed from, and he's a road safety expert. He's welcomed this change from the Federal Government. He says it's a step in the right direction.

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JOHN GAFFNEY: Fifty years ago, when we introduced seatbelts in cars, we had a 10-year campaign to educate people. And now, the stats- people tell me about 98 per cent of people wear seatbelts in cars, but as soon as they hop in a bus, they forget to put them on. So we need to change the culture across Australia on wearing seatbelts that are provided.

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MARCHANT: So, how will these new rules help? Senator Anthony Chisholm is the Assistant Minister for Regional Development. Good afternoon.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Good afternoon, Jenny. Good to be with you.

MARCHANT: When will we see these changes on the buses?

CHISHOLM: So the new standard will be mandatory from 1 November 2026 for all new model vehicles, and from 1 November 2027 for new vehicles of existing models. And we've been working constructively with the industry around that timetable of implementation, and they've been great partners for us to work with on these important changes.

MARCHANT: It feels so far away, and yet this feels so urgent, keeping people safe. Why does it need to take so long?

CHISHOLM: It is. And obviously, the design of buses is something that does take time, and that's why we want to work constructively with the industry as much as we can around these changes. There is obviously an opportunity for there to be retrofitting. The bus that we were on today on the north side of Brisbane, where we made this announcement, they have implemented these changes and they've done so retrospectively. So, now that the design rule is in place, it will encourage industry to hopefully take it up earlier. But for those new models, it will be in place from November 2026.

MARCHANT: Right. So for buses that came online before November 2026, you're hopeful that operators might take this up voluntarily.

CHISHOLM: That's right and that was the example that I saw today when I was out in Brisbane with a bus company that has a substantial footprint in Queensland and that's historically how these design rules have changed. They've been implemented for new models, but also where they’re able to be done retrospectively. And my understanding from the industry themselves is that this can be done with a small fee at the moment. These design changes are liken to when you jump on an aeroplane and catch a flight somewhere, you automatically put your seatbelt on now, but there's always those constant reminders. That's what we want to get to on the bus so that when you do sit down, you do get those constant reminders to put your seatbelt on and obviously improve safety outcomes.

MARCHANT: Will there be enforcement of these new standards?

CHISHOLM: So that will be the expectation of the companies that if they want to sell buses in Australia, they're the design rules that they will have to meet. So, that's what applies to new vehicles. It's similar when we do seatbelts and other things. That's how we make progress on safety in this country. This one applies to buses.

MARCHANT: Over time though, will there be spot checks? I mean, audio systems fail, signs get pulled down, either by fidgety fingers or just by age. Will there be checks to make sure that this is actually happening on the buses?

CHISHOLM: I think the encouraging thing about the work that we've done is it's been in collaboration with the bus industry themselves, and they've actually been keen to take this on board and implement it. They understand that safety is of importance. They want their industry to be as safe as possible for their passengers. So, I'm confident that we will get strong uptake and that the industry themselves are embracing this because they want to ensure that the Australian bus industry remains safe.

MARCHANT: So recognising the difference that seatbelts can make as you are here, shouldn't all buses in theory have seatbelts on them?

CHISHOLM: Well, obviously we want to ensure that there is as much safety in place as possible for passengers. The Federal Government, obviously have the things that we're responsible for, with the states having the other responsibilities. We want to try and lead by example. We've done that in regards to seatbelts and seatbelt strengths when it comes to buses, we're doing it again when it comes to the warning systems around seatbelts. So we want to be at the forefront of what we do, work constructively with industry and obviously encourage the State Government, where appropriate, to ensure that they're doing what they can around safety as well.

MARCHANT: Senator Chisholm, we have a caller, if you don't mind listening in to what they have to say. Felicity is with me this afternoon. G'day, Felicity. Are you there?

FELICITY [CALLER]: Yeah, hi.

MARCHANT: Yeah. What comment did you want to make about buses and seatbelts?

FELICITY: Well, as a bus driver, it's impossible for us to be a safe bus driver and enforce seatbelts on a bus.

MARCHANT: Why so?

FELICITY: Because, as you can imagine, you're driving through traffic, you have to have your eyes on the road at every second you are driving in traffic. Doesn't matter if you're at a red light, stopped at lights. It doesn't matter. You have to- you cannot take your eyes off the road. If you do, you are putting a whole load of people and yourself at risk.

MARCHANT: So Felicity, does having a recorded audio announcement that would go off automatically, signs attached to the back of the seats, would that be helpful?

FELICITY: That would be helpful. But you know, I just know from carting kids around for the last year, you can tell them all you like, but they don't necessarily do it.

MARCHANT: Do you have an idea on what would do it, Felicity?

FELICITY: [Laughs] An actual person coming onto the bus and spot checking.

MARCHANT: Okay. Felicity, thank you and good on you for getting the kids around safely, as you do. Minister, spot checks, is that something that you think could be valuable?

CHISHOLM: Thanks, Felicity, and the bus industry have made a similar point to me that Felicity did just air. The bus I was on today had room for 61 passengers. Obviously, the driver has their role and responsibility to keep people safe, and it's impossible for them to be checking everyone's seatbelt at the same time. So I think it's a point well made. I think that what these measures do is it does provide that reminder for people when they get on board to put their seatbelt on, and it also has the message there. I also think that over time this will become similar to what it is when you fly on an aircraft where you're just automatically now jump on board, you put your seatbelt on, you do get the reminders, but it's become something that people are used to. That's where we need to go with buses so that people, when they get on, they automatically put their seatbelt on. And that's what we want to encourage through these measures that we've adopted today.

MARCHANT: A couple of ABC Newcastle listeners, in addition, wonder if an advertising blitz might be part of the answer, to the Wheels on the Bus, maybe using that somehow to get the message across. Is that under consideration at all?

CHISHOLM: Well, when it always comes to road safety, there's always obviously more you can do. For the first time in a long time, the Federal Government has a road safety campaign out there about driving on the roads over the summer period. We also work constructively with our state colleagues to ensure that we're getting that message out amongst the community as well. There are too many deaths on the road, whether it be buses, whether it be people travelling in passenger vehicles as well, so there’s a whole lot more that we need to do to ensure that we’re getting that message through. We need to reach as many people as possible. The bus company I was with today for instance, they actually go and visit the schools that they service and actually provide an in-classroom lesson around the importance of wearing seatbelts. So, it just goes to show there are a lot of things out there that are happening but it’s important that we lead by example and provide that direction to ensure that people remain as safe as possible.

MARCHANT: Assistant Minister Chisholm, thanks for being here this afternoon.

CHISHOLM: No worries, Jenny. Thanks for your time and thanks to your listeners.

MARCHANT: It’s a pleasure. Senator Anthony Chisholm there, the Assistant Minister for Regional Development on ABC Newcastle.