South-West Coast electorate
Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (14:46): (1274) My question is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Why are schoolchildren not afforded the same legal protections under road rule 79A as roadside workers and emergency responders? Road rule 79A rightly requires drivers to slow down to 40 kilometres an hour for roadside workers and emergency vehicles with flashing lights but not for school buses actively loading or unloading children. School buses stop with flashing lights to let children – some of our most vulnerable road users – on and off, yet they are excluded from this protection. This is especially concerning in regional areas, where buses stop on roads which have a designated speed of 100 kilometres per hour. I urge the minister to explain this discrepancy and consider extending road rule 79A to include school buses in the interests of child safety. They do it in New South Wales. Why aren’t we doing it here in Victoria?