Released 16/02/2024 - Joint media release
Minister for Transport Chris Steel and Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Yvette Berry are launching Canberra’s inaugural Bus Safety Week at Lyneham High School where students had filmed a bus safety commercial 35 years ago.
“Bus Safety Week is an opportunity to remind Canberrans, particularly students, to stay safe on and around buses,” said Minister for Transport Chris Steel.
“Every week Canberra’s bus fleet travels more than 555,000 kilometres with our bus drivers doing all they can to keep our community safe.
“However they also rely on people doing the right thing. The safety messages of today are no different to those from the Bus Safety Rap filmed with Lyneham High students in 1989.
“This means waiting until the bus has left before crossing the road, never crossing in front of buses where other road users can’t see you and avoiding distractions when moving around bus interchanges and crossing roads.”
“Last year we saw more than 3 million trips for school students across our bus network, with students very much relying on buses to get to and from school, as well as going out with friends,” said Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Yvette Berry.
“It’s really important that students can get to school and get around our city safely. Bus Safety Week is a great chance to have a discussion at home and at school about travelling safely.”
By re-releasing the retro bus safety rap messaging from 1989 and giving it a modern twist, we hope this helps draw attention to the key issue of road safety.
A fully ‘(w-)rapped’ bus with safety messaging was unveiled today at the launch. It will be driving on Canberra’s roads from today.
Bus Safety Week is part of the 2024 Road Safety Program which seeks to remind people that road safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Transport Canberra will continue to work with stakeholders including ACT schools to promote Vision Zero – no deaths or serious injuries on our road transport network.
Find out more information at www.transport.act.gov.au/bus-safety
- Statement ends -
Yvette Berry, MLA | Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases