|
  
Politics makes a 'joke' of school bus safety
Marj Bollinger
To celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary on 15 May 2000, at Colin Barnes' request I attended a meeting of the Parliamentary Regulation Review Committee to discuss 'Australian Road Rules and School Bus Warning Systems'. I found it to be a very frustrating experience, very political, covering ground I have covered so many times before.
The morning was spent listening to genuine people `give evidence' in relation to their experiences regarding the 40k speed zones around school buses and the wig-wag lighting system. Not one person was complementary on either subject. These people were not aware of the process and I'm sure were, like myself on my first and subsequent attendance at these functions, hopeful that what they had to say would have some bearing on the end result. My experience told me it would not.
Ian Faulks insisted that I should stay and `speak.' As I was on oath and under Parliamentary Privilege to be recorded in Hansard I noted my comments which were as follows.
I have been involved in this debate on school bus safety for more than eight years. I'm hoping that today is not just an extension of the political processes I've witnessed in the past where there was a political pre-determined outcome which resulted in the proceedings of days like today having no bearing at all on the outcome and end result. This is evidenced by the fact that we are here today debating wig wag lights and 40km/hr speed zones at all. Had any notice been taken for reasons of safety rather than politics neither of these systems would have been introduced.
I've sat this morning and listened to the frustration of speakers voicing what I've said time and time again. I now have an even closer association with school busses as my daughter and son-in-law own and operate a service at Mendooran - don't ask Allison her opinion - she gave it to me last night.
The HSAG had an undertaking from Brian Langton in 1995 that if elected he would provide $4,000 to trial this system with five sets of wig-wag lights in the metro area and five in the country. Within three days of the election I was in Minister Langton's office with this very set of lights - he agreed to provide the $4,000. This was spent on a `fixed' trial at Gosford show ground - the results of which never saw the light of day.
Days of our time and money as well as $4,000 government money down the drain. I hope, Mr Chairman, your committee can prove to be more successful. I wish you luck, but I'm not optimistic.
National uniform road rules are similarly a joke - there isn't anything uniform about them. I couldn't count the number of forums I have attended in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and not one of my concerns has ever been addressed.
In country areas the 40kph around busses is a joke - travelling at 80-100km/hr you can be past the bus by the time you have been aware the bus is there - no time to slow down to 40. On many roads busses are mixing with semi trailers, B-Doubles and in some cases road trains.
I asked if there had been any prosecutions for breach of the 40km/hr regulation around busses. The Police advised that there had only been one, as they don't have any way other than being behind a vehicle of checking the speed because the law only means 40km/hr for the length of the bus. I then asked what point is there in having a law if it is not enforced. People know the risk of prosecution is low therefore they won't comply. Wig wag lights should flash before the bus stops rather than after. 
|
