NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007

School Bus Seatbelt Delays
February 13, 2007

NEW buses fitted with seatbelts have not been delivered to any schools, despite a State Government pledge the first vehicles would be ready for the school year's start.

The Government also is yet to accept a $57,300 donation from the Belts on Buses fundraising drive.

The fund, established in August by the charitable arm of Freemasonry in South Australia, accepted public donations until December 15 to "ensure every school bus is equipped with seatbelts for every child who travels on them".

The Government was still investigating "the legalities involved" in accepting such a donation, but a department spokeswoman last night said: "We are grateful for the fundraising efforts . . . and we anticipate it will fit seatbelts to another four school buses."

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith on August 15 announced only new school buses bought for future use would have seatbelts fitted.

"The first buses (with seatbelts) are expected to be ready in time for the new school year," she said at the time. Ten weeks later it was announced seatbelts would be fitted to 49 existing school buses.

The decisions followed a strong campaign by The Advertiser for seatbelts to be fitted after the third school bus accident in eight months, at Karkoo on Eyre Peninsula, resulted in eight students and two adults being injured.

An Education Department spokeswoman said work was under way on the first of four new buses bought with seatbelts, while the other three were expected to be delivered next month.

"There was a contractual requirement for the supplier to deliver the buses ready for use by the start of the new school year and we are extremely disappointed they have not been able to meet their commitments," the spokeswoman said. A decision about which regional routes the new buses will travel on was yet to be made.

Opposition transport spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith yesterday accused Dr Lomax-Smith of "making a promise and failing to keep it".

But a spokeswoman for Dr Lomax-Smith said: "We are one of the first governments in Australia to begin fitting seatbelts to our rural school bus fleet."

MICHAEL OWEN

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