Time for fire safety systems to be rolled out nationwide

A bus in Perth had to be evacuated last week when smoke started coming out from the rear of the bus. The incident has been blamed on a ‘smokey brake’ – and not an engine fire. However, since the bus was a model which had previously been responsible for causing gas fires there there was no peace of mind for the bus driver and the passengers.

As members would be aware we have recently had a big win in NSW after more than three years of campaigning to get the NSW Government to commit to installing fire suppressant systems on all public buses.

These systems detect smoke and alarm the driver, allowing him or her to get everyone safely off the bus – and they also help to actually extinguish the fire.

Now that we’ve had a victory in getting these systems installed in NSW, we think its time that they were rolled out nationwide. This latest incident in Perth is just another reminder of how important it is that safety is the number one priority on public transport.