Add Category
An independent report has recommended regular health screenings for bus drivers older than 60 to ensure public safety, amid concerns over a spate of "near misses involving buses".
The report was commissioned by the Brisbane City Council (BCC) following the death of Tia Cameron, who was hit by a bus on a footpath in the Brisbane CBD earlier this year.
The driver of that bus, aged 70, has been charged with one count of careless driving causing death.
In a statement released by the council, it said there had been a "spate of tragic events and near misses involving buses throughout Queensland in recent months".
It said 10 of the 2,730 bus drivers it employs had been stood down on safety grounds this year, while another nine were highlighted as "high-risk drivers".
Councillor Murphy told ABC Radio Brisbane one of those drivers stood down voluntarily, while the other eight are conducting other duties as they undergo further evaluation and training.
"They were identified as high-risk because of the number of on road incidents they had experienced in the past year and the severity of those incidents," Councillor Murphy said.
Under current legislation, drivers must undergo annual medical assessments once they reach the age of 75. The average age of Brisbane bus drivers is 52.
Councillor Ryan Murphy, who is the civic cabinet chair of transport, said currently all drivers must go through a medical assessment process once every five years, but the report recommended drivers older than 60 be checked annually.
BCC said it had supplied the report to the Queensland government for further assessment.
"A number of the recommendations relate to issues outside of council jurisdiction, within state jurisdiction, that is why we have written to the state government," Councillor Murphy said.
"This is an industry wide issue that involves state governments around the country and the national heavy vehicle regulator."
'We promised Tia's family'
The report also recommended psychological testing be used when recruiting drivers, and "more frequent and regular monitoring" of driver performance.
Council said it would be conducting more "in vehicle performance monitoring and better processes to ensure shift and route match driver skill and experience", as well as further professional development.
Councillor Murphy said the report looked at international evidence and how Brisbane's buses were performing.
"We promised Tia's family and the residents of Brisbane that we would undertake an independent review and learn any lessons from this tragedy and that's exactly what we are doing," he said.
"The vast majority of our drivers do an incredible job, and we will continue to improve safety standards so Brisbane residents can trust the vital services they deliver," he added.
He said the global shortage of bus drivers was leading to "every bus company around the world experiencing an aging workforce".
"If we are to make changes, these need to be done with close consultation with the drivers, with the unions, with the industry to make sure we don't see an exodus of talented drivers," he said.
Union supports health assessments
Tom Brown, assistant state secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, said they accepted further health testing of drivers once they reach 60 is "something that will happen".
"Obviously because of what's happened, things will be tightened up, and we obviously support that," he said.
"The last thing we want to see is another fatality or serious injury … anything that can address this, the union welcomes.
"What we don't support is our drivers becoming the bad guys."
Mr Brown said the report did not address "the elephant in the room" of bus driver fatigue.
"A driver can work an eight or nine hour shift no problem, but it is all about the amount of breaks he or she has — at the moment there is only one main break," he said.
He said a short break should be added within the day.
"The four or five hour shifts that they work without a break will have [to] involve a small break so that they can reset the fatigue clock."