BUS WORRY
Driver honoured but incident raises alarm
A BUS driver will be honoured with a safety award for “professionalism” after finding a sleeping child on his bus, but a co-worker said it’s proof the company is not looking after its young charges properly.
The 12-year-old child had fallen asleep on the Tweed route 1236 school bus home on Wednesday afternoon and went unnoticed until the bus was back at the Tweed Heads depot.
The child woke up as the bus driver was doing a final check of the bus and the parents were called to collect them, Surfside Buslines confirmed.
A BUS driver will be honoured with a safety award for “professionalism” after finding a sleeping child on his bus, but a co-worker said it’s proof the company is not looking after its young charges properly.
The 12-year-old fell asleep on the way home on the Tweed route 1236 school bus on Wednesday afternoon and went unnoticed until the bus was back at the Tweed Heads depot.
The child woke up as the bus driver was doing a final check and the parents were called to collect them, Surfside Buslines confirmed.
A Surfside Buslines employee, who did not want to be named, told the Bulletin it raised issues over child safety.
“My understanding is you should always check the bus at the last stop so you know if you’ve missed someone, clearly that wasn’t done,” they said.
“You can only imagine how much panic a parent would go through when their child is missing – you feel it even when it’s not your child.”
It is understood the driver involved is a senior employee and has been behind the wheel for more than ten years.
Surfside Buslines general manager Martin Hall said the child was never put in danger and was always in the presence of an adult. “I thank the driver for his professionalism in following our safety procedures and he will be receiving our monthly safety award to recognise his efforts and professionalism,” he said.
Protocols around checking buses after shifts were tightened in January last year after a five-year-old Logan girl was left on a Logan Coaches school bus for nearly five hours after falling asleep on the trip home.
It comes as bus drivers claim they are forced to ignore industry standards by working late nights and early mornings during the NRL season.
“At least seven or eight drivers worked until 9.20pm for the Titans and Raiders game two Sundays ago – which is 10.20pm NSW time – then they’re back at work doing the school run by 7am (NSW),” the whistleblower said. “They’re supposed to get 10-hour mandatory breaks, it’s scary to know that it’s not happening. The driver is supposed to know the rules, it’s up to them, but if you say no (to the job) you won’t get another charter.”
The staff member said parents would be “horrified” if they knew their kids’ bus drivers were going to work tired.
Surfside Buslines said all rostering was compliant with Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation.