The Bus Industry Confederation (BIC), Australia’s national peak body in the bus and coach sector, continues to urge governments across the country to review and update their policies on seat belt usage—particularly on dedicated school bus services.

Queensland remains the outlier among mainland states, as it does not mandate seat belts on dedicated school buses. Instead, the state relies on a risk-based approach—a policy maintained by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) for many years. This approach is now outdated and in urgent need of review to ensure the safety of Queensland’s children.

Varenya Mohan-Ram (BIC Executive Director) said “Under the current policy, seat belts are only required on buses operating on long, steep, or very steep roads. This limited application does not meet community expectations, nor does it align with modern safety standards. It doesn’t pass the pub test. Furthermore, the rationale behind this risk-based approach has not been made transparent. Whether the decision is driven by cost or other factors, the public deserves clarity”.

Dean Moule (BIC National Technical Manager) indicated “This lack of transparency also raises concerns under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Chain of Responsibility laws, which require that all parties in the transport supply chain take reasonable steps to manage safety risks. Without a clear understanding of the criteria used by TMR, there is a risk that accountability may fall directly on TMR should a preventable incident occur”  

The BIC has previously called on policy regulators to review this policy and Mohan-Ram once again “urges TMR to mandate seat belts on all dedicated school bus services. The safety of Queensland’s children must be the top priority”.

 Safety isn’t expensive—it’s priceless.

For further details regarding our position on seat belt safety, please refer to our Safety Initiatives Paper.

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