A push for every bus passenger to have access to a seatbelt has been made, following the release of the official Office of Transport Safety investigation into the 2023 Greta bus crash that claimed the lives of 10 people in the Hunter Valley. The Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) is urging governments to ensure every bus passenger receives the same level of protection. The BIC reinforced its national “Seatbelts are Priceless” campaign, arguing that more needs to be done to improve safety on buses and coaches. BIC Chief Executive Officer Varenya Mohan-Ram said buses were the safest form of road transport in Australia, but the industry could not afford to become complacent. “Over 239 bus passengers are injured on our roads each year, and BIC’s position is that one preventable death is one too many,” he said. The Seatbelts are Priceless campaign is an extension of BIC’s 2023 position paper, Bus Safety Initiatives, which called for urgent reform of Australian Design Rule 68. The rule allowed some buses and coaches to operate in circumstances where seated passengers are required to wear seatbelts, while standing passengers have no access to equivalent protection. The organisation welcomed changes announced by the Federal Government in 2025 through the Occupant Protection in Buses reforms, which adopted several key recommendations from the industry body. Among the changes are mandatory seatbelt reminder systems designed to encourage greater seatbelt use. The requirements will apply to new bus and coach models from November 1, 2026 and all new vehicles from November 1, 2027. However, BIC believes community education will be just as important as regulation, and it aims to be the driving force behind seatbelt safety. “A seatbelt only saves a life if it is worn,” Mr Mohan-Ram said. “Most people don’t give a second thought to wearing a seatbelt in a car; we just need people to understand the same applies to buses and coaches.” As part of its campaign, BIC is calling for a national public education program on bus seatbelt use, including a harmonised school campaign, seatbelts on all dedicated school buses and equal levels of protection for every passenger.
