Passenger Safety

...passenger safety

How safe are School Buses?
A study conducted by Institute of Transport Studies at the Sydney University shows that travel to and from school in a bus is 7 times safer than in the family car, 31 times safer than walking and 228 times safer than riding a bike. Indeed, students are most at risk around the vehicle rather than on the vehicle. For example, of the small number of school bus-related fatalities in Australia in recent years, less than one in ten involves a passenger on the bus. The behaviour of children, careers and other road users around bus stops is the key to a major improvement in safe travel to school.

What Buses are involved in Accidents?
The majority of buses involved in fatal accidents were urban buses (58.7 per cent), and most of these urban buses were traveling short distances on scheduled routes. Of all fatal bus accidents, 14.8 per cent involved a designated school bus. However, 18 of 23 of these fatal accidents did not involve a school bus occupant fatality.

How do Most Bus Related Accidents Occur?
The most common accident event for fatal bus accidents involved a pedestrian (31 per cent). Most of the pedestrian accidents involved a pedestrian stepping off the kerb and being struck by the front of the bus. The second most common event involved one bus and another vehicle travelling in opposite directions before the collision (29 per cent).
The majority of these accidents were head on collisions where neither vehicle was overtaking. Buses involved in frontal impacts were the causal effect for 59.4 per cent of fatalities in the six years of available data from 1990 to 1998. The majority of bus drivers involved in fatal accidents was driving, or had intended to drive, straight ahead
at time of the accident (75.5 per cent), while stationary buses were seldom involved in fatal accidents). (ATSB – Nov 2001)

Seat Belts – Only Part of the Solution
The issue of Seat Belts in buses is an ongoing concern to some in the community. Southern Cross Transit supports the use of seat belts in buses to improve the safety of travel by passengers and drivers. We believe a holistic approach to addressing bus safety issues is required. This approach needs to take into account all the possible factors relating to bus accidents in order to deliver a set of measures to reduce the causes of accidents as well as improving the survivability of those involved in bus related accidents.

Standing Passengers

Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles are operated safely
Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles are not overloaded
Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles that carry standing Passengers are specifically designed and constructed for that purpose
Southern Cross Transit will insure that no passenger stands for more than 20 km; and will insure that when carrying standing passengers, the bus does not travel on a road notified by the chief executive, by gazette notice, as a road on which the bus must not carry standing passengers.

Speed Limits
In Queensland, all buses weighing more than 14.5 tonnes are mechanically or electronically speed limited to 100 kilometers per hour. A Queensland Transport study conducted around the Jimboomba area in 2001 saw buses
restricted to a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It found that a reduction in speed did not affect driver schedules and that there was no concern with restricting the speed of buses to 80 kilometers per hour when carrying standees. Based upon this research, Southern Cross Transit has implemented a policy whereby no bus carrying standing passengers is to exceed a maximum speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour.

Mt Crosby Rd "Camel Humps"
Some parents may already be aware that the steep section of Mt Crosby Road, known Locally as the “Camel Humps”, has been declared a Long Steep/Very Steep Downgrade by Queensland Transport. This declaration means that, as from the start of the 2006 school year, buses will not be able to carry standing passengers on this section of road. This will require Southern Cross Transit to provide extra services. By 2009, all school buses operating on this road will need to have:

Rollover Protection in accordance with Australian Design Regulations
Lap Sash Seat Belted Seats;
and Auxiliary Braking Systems

The Queensland Government has introduced all of the above safety initiatives on a statewide basis. Southern Cross Transit supports the Government in its effort to improve safety for school students travelling to and from school on buses. The government has committed $12 million over the next four years to provide subsidies to bus companies to purchase new or later model buses that are compliant with the above requirements on steep roads in Queensland. This subsidy will help Southern Cross Transit to progressively purchase vehicles to ensure the company is able to meet the 2009 deadline. While the subsidy is available for acquisition of complaint vehicles, Southern Cross Transit must fund additional operational costs such as extra services. For a number of years Southern Cross Transit has not collected “TOP UP” fares for those school students, who are eligible for assistance under the School Transport Assistance Scheme and who travel to other than their nearest school. To enable Southern Cross Transit to continue to provide existing services, it will be necessary for us to collect the appropriate “TOP UP” fare for all applicable students effective from the start of the 2006 school year.

Thank you for your ongoing patronage

Kind regards
Frank Oliveri
Managing Director


Business Partner	...passenger safety How safe are School Buses? A study conducted by Institute of Transport Studies at the Sydney University shows that travel to and from school in a bus is 7 times safer than in the family car, 31 times safer than walking and 228 times safer than riding a bike. Indeed, students are most at risk around the vehicle rather than on the vehicle. For example, of the small number of school bus-related fatalities in Australia in recent years, less than one in ten involves a passenger on the bus. The behaviour of children, careers and other road users around bus stops is the key to a major improvement in safe travel to school. What Buses are involved in Accidents? The majority of buses involved in fatal accidents were urban buses (58.7 per cent), and most of these urban buses were traveling short distances on scheduled routes. Of all fatal bus accidents, 14.8 per cent involved a designated school bus. However, 18 of 23 of these fatal accidents did not involve a school bus occupant fatality. How do Most Bus Related Accidents Occur? The most common accident event for fatal bus accidents involved a pedestrian (31 per cent). Most of the pedestrian accidents involved a pedestrian stepping off the kerb and being struck by the front of the bus. The second most common event involved one bus and another vehicle travelling in opposite directions before the collision (29 per cent). The majority of these accidents were head on collisions where neither vehicle was overtaking. Buses involved in frontal impacts were the causal effect for 59.4 per cent of fatalities in the six years of available data from 1990 to 1998. The majority of bus drivers involved in fatal accidents was driving, or had intended to drive, straight ahead at time of the accident (75.5 per cent), while stationary buses were seldom involved in fatal accidents). (ATSB – Nov 2001) Seat Belts – Only Part of the Solution The issue of Seat Belts in buses is an ongoing concern to some in the community. Southern Cross Transit supports the use of seat belts in buses to improve the safety of travel by passengers and drivers. We believe a holistic approach to addressing bus safety issues is required. This approach needs to take into account all the possible factors relating to bus accidents in order to deliver a set of measures to reduce the causes of accidents as well as improving the survivability of those involved in bus related accidents. Standing Passengers Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles are operated safely Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles are not overloaded Southern Cross Transit will insure that all vehicles that carry standing Passengers are specifically designed and constructed for that purpose Southern Cross Transit will insure that no passenger stands for more than 20 km; and will insure that when carrying standing passengers, the bus does not travel on a road notified by the chief executive, by gazette notice, as a road on which the bus must not carry standing passengers. Speed Limits In Queensland, all buses weighing more than 14.5 tonnes are mechanically or electronically speed limited to 100 kilometers per hour. A Queensland Transport study conducted around the Jimboomba area in 2001 saw buses restricted to a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It found that a reduction in speed did not affect driver schedules and that there was no concern with restricting the speed of buses to 80 kilometers per hour when carrying standees. Based upon this research, Southern Cross Transit has implemented a policy whereby no bus carrying standing passengers is to exceed a maximum speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour. Mt Crosby Rd "Camel Humps" Some parents may already be aware that the steep section of Mt Crosby Road, known Locally as the “Camel Humps”, has been declared a Long Steep/Very Steep Downgrade by Queensland Transport. This declaration means that, as from the start of the 2006 school year, buses will not be able to carry standing passengers on this section of road. This will require Southern Cross Transit to provide extra services. By 2009, all school buses operating on this road will need to have: Rollover Protection in accordance with Australian Design Regulations Lap Sash Seat Belted Seats; and Auxiliary Braking Systems The Queensland Government has introduced all of the above safety initiatives on a statewide basis. Southern Cross Transit supports the Government in its effort to improve safety for school students travelling to and from school on buses. The government has committed $12 million over the next four years to provide subsidies to bus companies to purchase new or later model buses that are compliant with the above requirements on steep roads in Queensland. This subsidy will help Southern Cross Transit to progressively purchase vehicles to ensure the company is able to meet the 2009 deadline. While the subsidy is available for acquisition of complaint vehicles, Southern Cross Transit must fund additional operational costs such as extra services. For a number of years Southern Cross Transit has not collected “TOP UP” fares for those school students, who are eligible for assistance under the School Transport Assistance Scheme and who travel to other than their nearest school. To enable Southern Cross Transit to continue to provide existing services, it will be necessary for us to collect the appropriate “TOP UP” fare for all applicable students effective from the start of the 2006 school year. Thank you for your ongoing patronage Kind regards Frank Oliveri Managing Director