Gas bus action vindicated

Last week bus drivers took a strong stand for workplace safety, after video footage came to light showing a dangerous explosion on a gas-powered STA bus in July.

Because of your actions, STA was forced to finally start taking the issue seriously – after months of assuring drivers that everything was fine.

Yesterday drivers were publicly vindicated when STA advised the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) that it would it would be going to tender for fire suppression systems, which will be added to around 250 Mercedes gas-powered buses.

This is a major step forward, and could be the difference between a minor incident and a major catastrophe next time a problem occurs with the gas-powered buses.

The Industrial Relations Commission also advised your union to detail its other suggestions for improved safety in a formal letter to STA.

STA will have to provide a detailed response to the letter in the IRC on Monday 7 November.

STA now knows that it can no longer sweep safety problems under the carpet.

But while drivers were putting public safety first, Premier Barry O’Farrell was carrying on like a pork chop, accusing drivers of “bastardry” and boasting that he would fight us “to the death”.

The introduction of the fire suppressant on gas-powered buses will hopefully prevent the unnecessary deaths of drivers and passengers, so the Premier will have to find other ways to kill us off.

Safety was, and remains, our number one priority.

There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered.  Other measures, like buzzers to alert drivers to fires in the engine, are also needed.

We will keep you informed as we continue to work through this very important issue.