NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007

School Buses to Get Seatbelts in Australia
September 19, 2007

SCHOOL buses in regional areas will be fitted with seatbelts under a $40 million scheme announced today by the Federal Government.

Under the scheme, private bus companies will be eligible to apply for subsidies of up to $25,000 per bus to install seatbelts.

Prime Minister John Howard said the initiative would mean at least 375 school buses could be fitted with seatbelts each year.

Creating a safe environment for school children travelling long distances was a federal government priority, he said.

"The reason that we are focusing on country and regional bus services is that ... they travel much longer distances," Mr Howard said.

"(Seatbelts) are needed in every school bus, but there is a particular problem as the accident rate suggested ... in regional Australia."

Mr Howard said state governments should make the use of seatbelts in buses compulsory.

"I just think this is something where the safety of children is first, second and third, and I think it's essential they be made compulsory, of course," he said.

Mr Howard said the Government preferred to give the money directly to private bus operators, rather than deal with state governments.

"It's something the state governments should have done ages ago, but they haven't, and we're going to plug the gap, we're not going to muck around and have a committee and have a meeting with them, and channel the money through them and have half of it creamed off in bureaucracy," he said.

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