Bus Safety Act

The Bus Safety Act 2009 (the Act or BSA) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. It is the prime statute regulating the safety of bus operations across the State.

The Act is aimed at preventing deaths and injuries arising from bus operations and establishes a modern "best practice" regulatory framework to assist in maintaining and improving the Victorian bus industry's good safety record.

The Bus Safety Act continued regulatory control over the operation of large buses and introduced safety standards for the small or mini-bus sector which comprises 40% of the Victorian bus fleet. Controls over large and small buses comprise permissions such as accreditation and registration. In addition, the BSA introduced broad based "safety duties" for bus operators and all others who have a significant role in providing both commercial and non-commercial bus services. The BSA also extended the range of enforcement powers and sanctions available to the safety regulator - the Director, Transport Safety or Transport Safety Victoria - and operates to encourage greater safety awareness across all types of bus operations.

Overall, the Act established a modern regulatory framework to assist the bus industry, which has a good safety record in Victoria, to adapt to the changing safety requirements of busier and more complex bus services.

The BSA was developed as part of the Transport Legislation Review conducted by the Department of Transport between 2004 and late 2010. The Act was passed in late March 2009 and commenced on 31 December 2010.

The Bus Safety Act was the State's first dedicated statute on the subject having replaced provisions in the former Public Transport Competition Act 1995.

The Act forms part of the transport policy and legislation framework in Victoria headed by the Transport Integration Act. As a result, the application of the Bus Safety Act is subject to the overarching transport system vision, transport system objectives and decision making principles set out in the Transport Integration Act.

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