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Installation Of Seatbelts On Dedicated Free School Buses Students in Traralgon are set to benefit from a Victorian Coalition Government initiative to fit school buses with seatbelts, Member for Morwell, Russell Northe announced today. By Russell Northe - 8th April 2014 - Back to News All new dedicated free rural and regional school buses are being fitted with seatbelts as part of the Victorian Coalition Government’s ongoing commitment to improve school bus safety.
"I am pleased to announce that local bus operator, Latrobe Valley Bus Lines will receive a replacement school bus as part of this program in 2014," Mr Northe said.
"The Coalition Government’s commitment to improve school bus safety will mean students on the Cairnbrook-Traralgon and Cowwarr-Traralgon route will soon be benefitting from this initiative on their bus ride to and from school.
"The Coalition Government is improving the safety of Victoria’s fleet of dedicated free school buses to build on significant advances already made.
"To ensure regional students have safe and modern buses to travel to and from school as soon as possible, Public Transport Victoria will replace 90 dedicated free school buses and retrofit 10 existing buses with seatbelts each year.
"These improvements will be funded by the Coalition Government at no cost to the bus operator and are in addition to the 54 replacement school buses that have been ordered since 2013."
The program will lift the percentage of school buses fitted with seat belts from 43 per cent to 70 per cent within the next five years.
Mr Northe said the program is built on the Coalition Government’s existing bus safety initiatives.
"We have carried out significant works at bus pick-up and drop-off points around the state in order to make them safer for students and pedestrians," Mr Northe said.
Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said that research has shown students are most at risk when getting on and off school buses.
"We have carried out significant works by installing safety fences and student marshalling areas around school bus interchanges," Mr Mulder said.
"We have also widened road shoulders to improve visibility for motorists and to allow buses to stop clear from other traffic."
Consultation with the Bus Association of Victoria has commenced to inform operators of the program and advise them of how they can participate in the rollout of seatbelts to dedicated free school buses in regional and rural Victoria.
Media contact: Russell Northe 5133 9088
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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