Our efforts since 2018 to see more seatbelts fitted on school buses has continued, with our April 2025 Noosa 360 update outlining the Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads’ (TMR) response that eighty-eight per cent of buses funded by the state government over the past five years have had seat belts fitted. However, more needs to be done, with our office also requesting last month, clarification from the minister on why seatbelts were not installed on the other twelve per cent. As well regarding the need for advocacy to be undertaken by the state government to the federal government to have the Australian Design Rules reviewed to rectify seatbelts not being required on all school buses.

Regarding enquiries raised on school bus route 5838, we share the community’s concerns. This service transports an average of fifty students daily from the Noosa, Nicklin and Ninderry state electorates to Matthew Flinders Anglican College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School via the Bruce Highway. We have been advised that the bus on this service had seatbelts fitted, however, has recently been replaced with a newer bus without seatbelts installed.

This has reasonably caused anger and concern in the community, especially considering the higher risk of a serious accident due to increased speed and that according to RACQ, a total of forty-three people died in thirty-five crashes on the Bruce Highway in 2024, an almost forty per cent increase than the annual five-year average. In addition, the recent incident reported by media on 28 March 2025 where a school bus carrying twenty-four children collided with a truck on the Bruce Highway near the Glass House Mountains.

From Sandy’s initial conversations with CDC when the issue was brought to us by residents, we understand a contributor to the change on route 5838 was that twenty-six contracted school buses across the Sunshine Coast had to be decommissioned due to their age, with some of these having seat belts fitted. In their place, TransLink replaced all twenty-six with non-seat belted buses, reducing options available to allocate to the route.

Following and in response, Sandy wrote again to the Minister for TMR requesting that assistance be provided either via his office or TransLink to assist CDC in allocating a bus with seat belts fitted to address the concerns raised. Sandy also asked QON in Parliament on 22 May 2025 with the following in italics being the minister’s response.

I thank the Member for the question.

The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring the safety of all passengers travelling on the public transport network. All Queensland buses must comply with relevant Vehicle Standards and Australian Design Rules, consistent with other states and territories.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads implements a risk-based approach to seatbelt requirements that is determined by the service type and operating environment, such as mandating passenger seatbelts for school buses travelling on long, steep and very steep roads (also known as Environment 3 or E3 roads).

As route 5838 does not travel on E3 roads, the buses currently operating on this route are compliant with the specific road conditions.

Additionally, the low-floor vehicle that replaced the high-floor vehicle on route 5838, after reaching the end of its service life, complies with the relevant Vehicle Standards, the Australian Design Rules, and the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

The Queensland Government will continue to monitor the matter to ensure evidence-based best practice underpins school transport safety in Queensland.

Sandy appreciates the government’s commitment to monitor the matter; however, the situation must be rectified as soon as possible. We do understand there is no contract or legislative requirement currently to provide buses with seat belts, unless traveling on an E3 road, however as raised, speed or distance should be considered when determining requirements and legislative changes made to facilitate.

Considering what has occurred on route 5838, Sandy has also written to the Federal Minister for Transport directly outlining the situation being experienced by our residents, requesting that it be considered when the ADR are next reviewed. The new ADR that establishes a requirement for visual and audible alerts to be installed where three-point seatbelts are already fitted is appreciated, however, as raised by the community, this does not address the issue of seatbelts not being required on all buses intended to be used for school contracted services. It is important to note that the operation and management of school bus services belongs to state and territory governments.

We will continue to update as more responses are received including the twelve per cent of upgrades not having seat belts mentioned earlier and other related matters.

For anyone wishing to add direct advocacy, please consider sending your views to the following:

Further information

Our previous Noosa 360 updates regarding seatbelts on school buses can be found at www.sandybolton.com/?s=seatbelt.