Tasmania’s Metro bus drivers are a step closer to better protection, with long-awaited security screens getting the green light from the national regulator.
The $2.1 million safety screen project has received a first-of-its-kind exemption from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, meaning installation can soon begin.
Delays in the rollout had sparked frustration from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which led to industrial action last month.
Drivers were instructed not to collect fares, a move the union said was in direct response to rising fare-related aggression among some passengers.
Transport Minister Eric Abetz said significant work and testing had gone into designing the screens, with input from Metro, unions and industry stakeholders.
“Our travelling community is entitled to be safe and most importantly, so are the bus drivers,” he said.
“And in recent times, we have had occasions where ugly elements within the community have thought that bus drivers were a fair game.”
Only three weeks ago, a Metro driver was hospitalised after being assaulted on the job.
Metro Chief Operating Officer Darren Turner confirmed the driver is still on leave and recovering.
“Any amount of antisocial behaviour directed at our bus drivers is far too much,” Turner said. “Our drivers are the front line of Metro. They deserve to be protected.”
The new screens have been designed to strike a balance between safety and practicality, with multiple prototypes developed to address concerns like glare and visibility.
Installation will be carried out by local supplier HAV N A DIP Bus Repairs, as part of a broader $8.1 million state government investment in Metro services.
Labor’s Shadow Transport Minister Meg Brown said the move was long overdue but welcome.
“Labor has continued to hold the government to account for its promise to introduce the screens and won’t stop doing so until they are installed,” she said.
