Brisbane Bus Lines takes its responsibilities under the Code of Conduct for School Bus Travel, issued by Transport for Main Roads, seriously.

This is a reminder to all students travelling on Brisbane Bus Lines, or any bus service, to follow the rules.  The full list of All of these behaviours are covered in the Code of Conduct for School Bus Travel (Information for Students), copies of which are sent to all parents and students. Links to the Code of Conduct are at the end of this newsletter.

Students and School Bags:

• School bags are to be stowed safely either on the floor under your seat, or in luggage racks if available.
• They are not to be placed on seats, preventing other students from sitting.
• If standing on the bus, your bag can be placed between your feet in order to avoid them becoming a tripping hazard.
• Be conscious of other students who need to get off the bus and ensure your bag is not in their way.
• Primary students have priority seating. When travelling on our “bendy” buses, high school students should give up their seat for a primary student.

Food and Drink:

• Students are not allowed to consume food or drink on the bus, without specific permission from the driver.
• Some schools have shops close to them where students purchase food and drink in the afternoon, eg hot chips, slurpees – these are not be consumed on the bus.
• Drivers are entitled to enforce the Code of Conduct and insist that students dispose of their purchases before boarding the bus. Unfortunately, students have been caught attempting to smuggle their purchases on board for consumption.

Safe Travel – Rear Doors

• We operate a fleet of “bendy” buses that have a rear door, with a stairwell.
• Students have been observed sitting within this stairwell, which puts them at risk of injury when the door opens.
• Students are not allowed to sit or stand in the stairwell and must either sit in a seat or stand up, using a hand-hold for safety.

Safe Travel – Crossing the Road

• When students have hopped off from the bus, they are to wait until the bus has moved away AND they have a clear view of traffic in both directions, before attempting to cross the road.
• Never cross the road in front of a bus.

Safe Travel – Seat Belts

• Students must seat belts, if available, and stay fastened in their seat for the duration of the journey.

Letting the driver know when you want the bus to stop

• Some of our buses are fitted with “STOP” buttons, which can normally be pressed to alert the driver to stop at the next bus stop. Unfortunately, these buttons are disabled due to regular misuse.
• DO advise the driver verbally, in a loud clear voice, eg “next stop please” or “corner of the next street please”.
• DO give sufficient notice to the driver – it can take a fair distance for the driver to stop the bus safely.
• DO NOT shout “stop here!” as the bus is passing your stop.

Bus Passes and Fare Evasion

• All students who have been issued a Brisbane Bus Lines bus pass must present it to the driver on EVERY trip.
• It is:
  • their legal ticket to travel on our bus services
  • has information about the student’s travel that the driver needs to read.
  • indicates whether they need to pay an add-on fare and the amount.
• Fare evasion on public transport and school buses is a major issue, which is being targeted by both QLD Transport and school bus operators.
• Students who are required to pay a cash fare need to pay their fare on EVERY trip.
• Under the Code of Conduct, repeated instances of failure to show a valid bus pass, or pay the relevant cash fare, can result in suspension from travel on the school bus.

TransportMe Bus Passes

• Last year, we began introducing a new electronic bus pass system called TransportMe.
• Students with these passes are required to tap on and tap off the bus – just like using a Go-Card on Translink services.
• Whilst nearly all students now tap on when boarding the bus, only about half try to tap off.
• All students with these cards are reminded to tap-off for the following reasons:
  • Tapping off will record that the student is no longer on the bus, as well as the location and time.
  • This data is used for reporting and for safety matters in an emergency.
  • We plan on introducing electronic fare payments with these cards later in the year. The fare will be deducted when the student taps OFF only.
  • Failure to tap off will result in a penalty fare being applied to their account.
  • Therefore we want all students to get into the habit of tapping on AND off the bus.

Code of Conduct Links

• Information for students
• Information for parents/carers
• Video – Safe Bus Travel

Brisbane Bus Lines

Ph: 3354 3633

schools@brisbanebuslines.com.au