Tour bus drivers heading to Victoria’s alpine resorts this winter are being urged to prioritise safety and compliance.
Safe Transport Victoria (ST Vic), in partnership with Victoria Police, will again conduct roadside inspections on routes leading to the state’s snowfields as part of its annual winter safety operations, to ensure drivers hold alpine region authorisation and carry essential safety equipment.
“Heading to the snow is a fun day out for many Victorians, but we want to make sure it’s also a safe one," ST Vic executive of director safety, strategy and regulation, Chris Banks said.
“We’ll be conducting hundreds of roadside inspections this winter and we urge bus operators and bus drivers to help reduce the risk of infringements and defects by checking their vehicles are snow-ready and properly equipped.
“The safety of your bus is in your hands."
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As part of the checks, inspectors will verify that buses are roadworthy, registered and equipped with the mandatory alpine safety gear, including snow chains, wheel chocks, a working torch and a shovel.
Other critical safety features, such as windscreen wipers and demisters, will also be checked.
Drivers must hold a Hazardous Area Authority (HAA) in addition to standard driver accreditation when operating in snow regions.
They are also reminded to manage fatigue and keep their mandatory logbooks up to date when carrying passengers.
Bus operators must also have systems in place to manage driver fatigue and ensure mandatory vehicle safety checks are completed, including daily pre-trip inspections.
Last winter, more than 200 buses were inspected at the roadside, resulting in 19 infringements and 31 defect notices.
This year’s inspection program, Operation Alpine, will run until the end of August.
To support drivers, ST Vic has released a step-by-step video on how to properly fit snow chains to buses, along with safety information in multiple languages.
For more information on alpine bus safety, visit: https://safetransport.vic.gov.au/on-the-road/bus/alpine-bus-safety/
