A teenage girl fell from a moving B-Line bus near The Spit Bridge on Monday, 28 September after a door opened while the bus was in motion. She was injured and taken to hospital that evening.
In the aftermath of the incident, RTBU NSW Tram and Bus Division Secretary Peter Grech said private operator Keolis and Transport for NSW ‘must come clean about the circumstances of the fault’ and acknowledge whether existing safety concerns were ignored.
Private company Keolis operates the bus network attached to the Northern Beaches.
“Drivers are telling us this may not be the first time one of these doors has opened unexpectedly. We are currently checking the circumstances, but Keolis cannot leave passengers wondering whether there were warnings it simply failed to act on,” Mr Grech said.
“If a door can open while a bus is moving, then that bus cannot be carrying the public. If other buses have the same fault, they cannot be carrying the public either.”
Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby MP has called for ‘an urgent briefing and sweeping safety actions.’
“Whatever the formal investigation concludes, this should never have happened,” Ms Scruby said. “No resident should have to step onto a bus that isn’t safe and fit for purpose.”
In a statement, Ms Scruby said that the bus in question was a 2017 blue double-decker, which have been used as additional services to meet demand. However, Scruby noted these particular buses have faced criticism in the past for ‘poor quality, safety standards, and passenger experience.’
Scruby stated new electric buses and 10 yellow double-deckers are on the way, but the transition needs to be accelerated in light of safety concerns.
“Keolis is contracted to maintain and operate these buses safely, and the NSW Government remains ultimately accountable for the fleet and enforcing that contract,” Ms Scruby said. “Commuters deserve complete transparency and a public transport fleet they can trust. If that is something Keolis can’t deliver, then the NSW Government must act in the best interest of commuters and review the current contract.”
Mr Grech also emphasised the need for transparency. “Keolis and Transport for NSW need to be fully transparent about similar problems within their fleets,” he said.
“They must come clean about this specific fault and exactly how long they’ve known about it.”