ANNUAL BUS SAFETY INSPECTIONS DANGERS OF DISTRACTION IN BUS OPERATIONS IS YOUR BUS FIRE READY ? - SUMMER 2012, ISSUE 24
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Annual Bus Safety
Inspections
Page 4
Dangers Of Distraction In
Bus Operations
Summer 2012, issue 24 Page 8
Is Your Bus Fire Ready?
Page 14
BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 1
IN THIS SUMMER EDITION
From the Director 3
Safety inspections 4
Carrying standing passengers 5
Carrying capacity signs 5
Vox pop 6
Site visit findings 7
Dangers of distraction in bus operations 8
Interview with an operator 10
Bushfire awareness 12
Bus operator accreditation reminder 12
In the news 13
Printed copies of BSN 13
Accolade for McNamara Buses 13
Is your bus fire ready? 14
Advice for hire and driver operators 14
2 >> BUS SAFETY NEWS
Safety
Inspections
TSV audits have found that several
registered bus operators could not
demonstrate that their buses have
undergone annual safety inspections.
The safety inspection
will result in either the The Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic) requires TSV acknowledges that there is no
an operator to ensure that all of its buses obligation for registered bus operators to
issue of a certificate of used to provide a bus service undergo an keep records, however, realistically this is
roadworthiness or a test annual safety inspection. Operators should the only way to demonstrate compliance.
ensure that each of their buses is inspected Operators who are found not to be
report listing defects.” by an authorised licensed bus tester within compliant with the requirement for an
12 months of the initial safety inspection. annual safety inspection will be subject
Inspections must not be undertaken to enforcement action.
by general vehicle testers. The safety
inspection will result in either the issue of
a certificate of roadworthiness or a test
report listing defects. Operators should
maintain a file for the certificates
or reports together with evidence of the
repair of any defects.
4 >> BUS SAFETY NEWS
Carrying
capacity signs
The Bus Safety Regulations 2010 (Vic)
require a bus with 13 or more seats to
display a notice on or in the bus advising
the maximum number of passengers that
may be safely carried on the bus.
The notice must be in letters at least
25mm high and of proportionate width.
As a minimum, two notices must be
displayed. TSV recommends that one be
inside the bus in a location that is clearly
visible from the driver’s seating position
and another one in a conspicuous position
Carrying standing on the outside of the rear of the bus.
passengers The Safety Director has authorised the
following as a suitable notice:
While investigating a complaint about
passenger overcrowding on a particular
bus service, a TSV Bus Safety Compliance MAXIMUM SAFE CARRYING CAPACITY
Officer observed that drivers were allowing …….. PASSENGERS
passengers to stand in the front and rear
door wells of buses servicing this route.
The VicRoads document, Vehicle Standards
Information # 30, sets out the formula
for calculating the number of standing
passengers in a bus. For safety reasons
and when using the formula, the floor
areas forward of the bulkhead behind the
driver’s seat and the rear door well are
excluded as standing areas.
These two floor areas are excluded from
the formula because they are not intended
for use by standing passengers. Keeping
these areas clear of passengers provides
the driver with a clear view to the left of
the bus and the left hand mirror. It also
prevents the likelihood of a passenger being
struck by the inward opening rear door.
Operators providing bus services that carry
standing passengers should ensure they
manage these risks appropriately.
To access the VicRoads document, visit
www.roads.vic.gov.au.
BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 5
Technology will play
an increasingly
important role for the
planning, implementation
and coordination of
services into
the futurE.”
VOX POP
Julie Haoust Note: The views expressed in the ‘Interview with
an operator’ and ‘Vox Pop’ articles in this, past
Crown Coaches Pty Ltd.
and future editions of Bus Safety News are the
personal views of the people interviewed. They
Which sector of the bus industry do you
do not represent the views of TSV or indicate any
think is most likely to grow/expand in the preference on its part for any size or type of bus
next five years and why? company, operator or industry.
As a past route service operator, I see the
greatest expansion in the bus industry over
the next five years being related to the
Metro bus network as it expands services
into outer and new suburbs.
Charter, school and tour operators will not
experience the same growth patterns as
route services as a lot of consolidation of
the industry has been prompted with the
introduction of the Bus Safety Act 2009
(Vic) and new accreditation requirements.
Many small and older operators are being
consumed and the Victorian bus and coach
industry will be affected by large interstate
and international players. Technology will
play an increasingly important role for the
planning, implementation and coordination
of services into the future.
6 >> BUS SAFETY NEWS
Site visit findings
TSV has reviewed the outcomes of It is understood that most operators are The MMS introduced under the Act was not
recent site visits completed by its Bus relying on someone within their respective changed substantially from that required
Safety Compliance Officers to identify businesses to complete modules 5101 under the previous Public Transport
any particular trends. and 5102 of Monash University’s Safety Competition Act 1995 (Vic). We anticipated
We have found that many operators Management Course for Bus Operators. that there would be minimal findings raised
do not have processes to eliminate the Once they have completed the course, against the MMS elements but in general
risks to safety or reduce them so far the operator will be able to demonstrate this has not been the case.
as is reasonably practicable (SFAIRP). the required competence to manage Operators are reminded to maintain
The absence of such a process results in the MIS under the Bus Safety Worker an appropriate level of oversight of all
findings being raised in the Hazard, risk competence elements. elements of their existing MIS and MMS
and change management and Governance Completion of these modules will also while developing processes to support their
and internal control arrangements elements demonstrate the competence requirement application for accreditation under the Act.
of the operator’s management information for operators applying for accreditation
system (MIS). under Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic).
We have also found that the majority of The findings above are not particularly
operators cannot yet demonstrate that surprising, given that the Act introduced
there is anyone within their organisation new concepts including that of managing
who has the required competence to risk so far as is reasonably practicable.
manage the MIS. What is surprising, however, is the number
of findings being made under various
elements of the maintenance management
system (MMS).
BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 7
Dangers of
distraction in bus
operations
8 >> BUS SAFETY NEWS
Bus drivers should
be mindful of the
dangers of being
distracted while using
a mobile phone or other
electronic devices,
whether when on the
road, in depots, or at
bus stops”
An incident in June 2012 highlighted The dangers of using mobile phones processors of information’, which means
mobile phone use as a source of while driving have been demonstrated in that even though we feel we are able
distraction. A bus driver who was research. A review1 of driver distraction to devote our concentration to multiple
using his mobile phone was involved in research has found that using a mobile tasks at once, we are really switching our
a collision with another vehicle. While phone while driving: attention rapidly back and forth between
the incident resulted in minor damage the separate tasks3.
• can increase the risk of being involved in a
and no injuries, the consequences could collision by up to four times As a result, each task doesn’t necessarily
have been far worse given the high risk receive enough attention for us to do them
road environment. • is more distracting than holding an
properly. For instance, another study4
intelligent conversation with a passenger has found that mobile phone use leads
Such distraction can be dangerous • leads to both physical and cognitive people to fail to see up to 50 per cent of
because a person’s attention is diverted distraction which can significantly impair the available information. This is because
from a central activity to other competing a driver’s visual search patterns, reaction a person’s field of vision (what they see)
activities. During the operation of a bus times, decision-making processes and shrinks as the amount of verbal information
on the road, distraction can lead a person their ability to maintain speed, throttle increases during a mobile phone
to miss a hazard or a critical piece of control and vehicle position on the road. conversation. So people may look, but may
information, for example, a traffic light or not necessarily see what is there.
sign, an approaching vehicle, obstructions Interestingly, the same review found that
using a hands-free phone while driving is Bus drivers should be mindful of the
and debris, or a pedestrian. Indeed, mobile
no safer than using a hand-held phone. dangers of being distracted while using a
phone use has contributed to many major
mobile phone or other electronic devices,
transport accidents. However, it’s not just mobile phones that whether when on the road, in depots or at
pose a risk for distraction. Preoccupation bus stops. With this in mind, drivers should
with other electronic devices, such as in- also watch for people using phones and
vehicle audio systems, radio communication devices around these locations as they
systems and portable audio players has may not be aware of the bus approaching.
also been known to cause distraction and It is well wknown that even a moment’s
accidents. Even reaching for an object may distraction can have serious consequences.
expose the driver to up to three times the Will you take the risk?
risk of being in a crash2.
If you have further queries about
People like to think that they can multi-task. distraction associated with bus
Unfortunately, research has found this not operations, contact Elizabeth Grey,
to be the case, as our biology limits our Manager Human Factors at Transport
ability to multi-task. Humans are ‘serial Safety Victoria on (03) 9655 6892.
1. Young, K., Regan, M., & Hammer, M. (2003). Driver distraction: a review of the literature (Report No. 206).
Accessed on 8th October 2012 at: http://www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/muarc206.pdf
2. Robertson, R. (2011). Distracted driving: So what ‘s the big picture? Canada: Traffic Injury Research Foundation.
Accessed on 8th October 2012 at:
http://www.tirf.ca/publications/PDF_publications/2011_TIRF_distracted_driving_8_web.pdf
3. Smiley, 2005 cited in Robertson, 2011.
4. Strayer, 2007 cited in Robertson, 2011.
BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 9
Interview with
an operator
10 >> BUS
BUSSAFETY
SAFETYNEWS
NEWSBushfire awareness Bus operator
As the bushfire season approaches, accreditation
accredited and registered bus operators are
reminded to revise their bushfire back up reminder
plans and to communicate those plans to
TSV urges deemed accredited bus
their relevant bus safety workers.
operators to prepare their application for
Operators also need to consider how accreditation under Bus Safety Act 2009
they will advise passengers about any (Vic) and submit it as soon as possible prior
alterations to routes or timetables to the 31 December 2015 deadline.
necessitated by bushfires.
Upon application you will need to
Bus operators are encouraged to consider demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
the risks to safety associated with bushfires Director, Transport Safety that you have the
and to implement controls to eliminate or competence and capacity to manage the
reduce those risks so far as is reasonable risks to safety associated with operating the
practicable. This applies equally to commercial bus service or local bus service.
operators in low risk areas and to those in
Should you elect to demonstrate
high risk fire zones.
competence by successful completion
Accredited and registered bus operators of the Safety Management Course for
are encouraged to refer to the fire ready kit Bus Operators please ensure you allow
developed by the Country Fire Authority. adequate time between doing this course
The kit is a useful tool that has been and submitting your application to TSV.
designed to help all Victorians on how best Your application will need to be assessed
to prepare for and develop a backup plan if and you should not expect instant
a potential hazard arises. conversion from ‘deemed accredited’ to
‘accredited’ status.
The kit can be accessed from the CFA
website (www.cfa.vic.gov.au)
12 >> BUS SAFETY NEWSAccolade for In the news Printed copies
McNamara Buses In the last few months, TSV has issued of BSN
a number of media releases to create
Bernard McNamara of McNamara Buses, awareness of bus related matters in the We hope that you are enjoying this edition
Corryong, was the recipient of the award broader community. Excerpts from the of Bus Safety News (BSN).
for the overall best performance by an releases are included below. From next year, we will be printing fewer
accredited contract operator in the Safety copies of BSN. This is to reduce production
Management Course for Bus Operators. To view these and other media
releases, visit the TSV website costs and do our bit for the environment.
Bill Fitzpatrick, on behalf of Mr McNamara, If you wish to continue receiving printed
received the award from TSV’s Director (http://www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au/
bus-safety/newsroom/media-releases) copies, please tear off the form enclosed to
Bus Safety Stephen Turner at the Ogden this newsletter and post it back to us.
Transport Lecture and Awards at Monash Issued – 25 September
University on 16 August 2012. Well done Transport Safety Victoria has
to Bernard and the rest of the McNamara congratulated a bus operator in the
Buses team. western suburbs for taking a strong stand
on distraction and dismissing a bus driver
who collided with a car while using his
mobile phone…
Issued – 12 September
An unregistered school bus operator
has been uncovered and several other
operators with safety issues have been
identified during a recent compliance
operation conducted by Transport Safety
Victoria at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat…
Bill Kilpatrick receives the award on behalf
of McNamara Buses, Corryong, from TSV’s
Stephen Turner. .
BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 13Is your bus Advice for hire and
fire ready? drive operators
Bus operators must ensure they have the As set out in the Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic),
right fire extinguisher ready for use in case hirers of buses who are not providing a bus
of an emergency. service for commercial purposes may still
The VicRoads document VSI 30 specifies the need to be registered or accredited with TSV.
number and type of fire extinguishers which Hirers need to contact TSV to confirm
must be carried on buses. Any operators whether they need to be registered
unsure of the number of fire extinguishers or accredited.
required should contact VicRoads. Hire and drive operators should
Fire extinguishers must be inspected/tested encourage their customers to make
by a competent person or organisation inquiries with TSV for an assessment of
every six months. Competent persons their particular situation.
or organisations should know from their TSV would like to thank BusVic for
knowledge of Australian Standard AS1851- bringing this issue to TSV’s attention and
2005 the level of inspection/test required. for proactively providing this advice to
Operators of bus services Bus operators should retain copies of its members.
inspection certificates of assurance or
must ensure that all invoices and receipts for maintenance
fire extinguishers fitted carried out by the service provider.
to buses are maintained in Such evidence will demonstrate their
inspection routine and must show that
an operating condition.” inspections/tests are being completed at
the required intervals.
14 >> BUS
BUSSAFETY
SAFETYNEWS
NEWSPrinted copies of BSN
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BUS SAFETY NEWS >> 15Where to get more information Transport Safety Victoria 121 Exhibition Street Melbourne Victoria, 3000 PO Box 2797 Melbourne Victoria, 3001 T. 1800 223 022 F. (03) 9655 8929 E. information@transportsafety.vic.gov.au W. www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, please telephone Transport Safety Victoria on 1800 223 022 or email information@transportsafety.vic.gov.au. This publication is also published as a PDF on www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au. To subscribe to TSV’s email alerts, go to the TSV website and click on ‘subscribe’ (top right-hand corner). View previous editions of this newsletter on the TSV website under ‘publications & forms’ (top right-hand corner). Published by Transport Safety Victoria © State Government of Victoria 2012 Copyright in this publication resides with the Director, Transport Safety and the State of Victoria. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Disclaimer: This publication is a summary giving you general information on a particular topic, and does not cover all of the relevant law regarding that topic. This document should not be relied upon as a substitute for the relevant legislation, legal or professional advice. The information in this publication is current as at November 2012. ISSN: 1835-4505 16 >> BUS SAFETY NEWS
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