Tour bus had dodgy driver at wheel

A LARGE tour bus shuttling dozens of international visitors to the Twelve Apostles was grounded at the weekend when police found its driver was not licensed to drive passengers.

The alarming incident comes as police crack down on tour bus safety along the Great Ocean Road ahead of the busy summer period. Geelong Highway Patrol Sergeant Peter Radford said officers checked 42 vehicles during the joint operation involving police, VicRoads and Transport Safety Victoria.

Sgt Radford said the driver, who was not accredited to drive a commercial tour bus, received an immediate $1934 fine. He said the company could face further penalties.

“The bus was full of interna- tional visitors and it was grounded until another bus with an accredited driver arrived,” Sgt Radford said.

“It is quite a substantial fine, but the main concern for us is safety and the safety of the passengers.”

Police also issued two vehicle defect notices for minor issues and handed out several infringement notices.

Police this week also nabbed 27 drivers for road offences during a Western Division operation targeting drivers on major highways.

Local police intercepted 277 drivers and handed out 27 infringements. Three drivers automatically lost their licence for three months for driving more than 25km/h over the speed limit.

Sgt Radford said police would continue to enforce road rules on all major highways and would also focus on

“It is quite a substantial fine but the main concern for us is safety and the safety of the passengers.” GEELONG HIGHWAY PATROL SERGEANT PETER RADFORD

drivers flouting the law on rural roads.

“The operations will continue particularly on rural roads where there is a high risk of fatalities,” he said.