While all Brisbane City Council’s 1145 buses now have driver protection barriers, the percentage of driver barriers is far lower across the state where buses are not subsidised by the Queensland government.
Protective film to stop windows smashing if they hit by rocks is now on half of Queensland’s contracted urban fleet as it promised in September 2019, TransLink said.
Darren Dickson, secretary of the Bus and Coach Drivers’ says assault and abuse of bus drivers is a statewide issue – not restricted to Brisbane.
Bus and Coach Drivers Association state secretary Darren Dickson said while the recent focus is on Brisbane, bus drivers in Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast, Logan, Wynnum, Caboolture and Rochedale were being abused.
“In Cairns, the female drivers are being touched up by juveniles,” Mr Dickson said.
“It is all of the stuff you are reporting happening to drivers employed by Brisbane City Council.”
“You have systemic verbal abuse, spitting, slapping, punching and then we have the defecating on the buses.”
Mr Dickson said the Bus Driver Safety Review “missed by miles”, attempts to improve safety to bus drivers across the state.
He said only two companies applied to use the $3.93 million set aside by the Queensland government.
“So the take-up was very, very poor.”
The Queensland government-owned public transport body, TransLink, on Friday confirmed only Brisbane City Council and Caboolture Bus Lines took up the 50-50 grants offered in 2018-19.
“All 1145 Brisbane City Council buses and about half of the Caboolture Bus Lines fleet have been fitted with driver safety barriers,” a Translink spokesman said.
The Kinetic Group, the private parent company of Sunbus – who operate in Townsville, Cairns Rockhampton, Magnetic Island and the Sunshine Coast – and the Gold Coast-based Surfside also added some barriers, TransLink said.
The driver robbed during a tomahawk attack was told at first that council insurance would not cover the personal items. Credit:Queensland Police Service
It said about 80 per cent of Queensland’s contracted urban bus fleet have driver-safety barriers.
Private bus companies – including Hornibrook Bus Lines fleet of 80 buses – question the cost-effectiveness of installing new driver security barricades because they may have several bus types, each suiting a different barrier.
PricewaterhouseCoopers very recently reported to the Queensland government a range of new bus driver security barriers, including one dubbed “The Coathanger” by drivers.
The top half is perspex and the bottom half has steel grills.
It is set to be discussed soon at the Bus Safety Forum, with representatives of most private bus companies.
Transport Workers Union Queensland branch secretary Peter Biagini said the safety screen rollout must be expedited.
“PricewaterhouseCoopers have recently completed an independent review into the various driver screens available, and we – alongside the RTBU – look forward to reading that review at the next Bus Safety Forum,” Mr Biagini said.
Tony Moore is a senior reporter at the Brisbane Times
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