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SUPPLIED
Hannah Francis, 11, died in a bus accident on Mount Ruapehu in July 2018.
Despite the fact that an 11-year-old girl was killed in a bus accident, there has been no “just cause” to install seat belts on buses, as it is considered the safest mode of transportation, says Waka Kotahi.
The investigation into the death of Hannah Teresa Francis continued Tuesday before Coroner Brigitte Windley in Auckland.
Hannah died after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) bus capsized on Mount Ruapehu on July 28, 2018.
The Mitsubishi Fuso bus, carrying 31 passengers, passed at the 9-kilometer mark on Ōhakune Mountain Rd, which travels 17 km up Mount Ruapehu to Tūroa.
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During his evidence, Waka Kotahi NZ Transportation Agency manager Alexander McMinn said that there were three crashes involving Mitsubishi Fuso buses in 2018.
There were 1,726 Fuso buses in use in New Zealand, representing 15 percent of the bus fleet. This made it the second most common bus model in the country.
At the beginning of the investigation, Hannah’s father, Matthew Francis, said he wanted the buses to be equipped with seat belts, as he believed his daughter’s injuries might not have been as serious if she had used one.
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Hannah Francis, pictured with her mother Michelle Bruton.
David Boldt, a lawyer who assisted the coroner, questioned McMinn about the transportation agency’s position on seat belts on buses.
McMinn said the agency does not require buses to be equipped with seat belts. Most of their fleet was old, making it a costly and timely task.
Boldt wondered if the fact that the fleet was old was all the more reason to put belts on them.
However, McMinn said it was more of a consideration factor than a reason for fitting them in or not.
He said the agency looked further at risk factors and the data showed that being a passenger on a bus is the safest form of transportation.
A person was more likely to die as a pedestrian than as a bus passenger.
“Except for this tragic accident,” McMinn added.
Any policy change would depend on the transport minister and the ministry, he said.
McMinn agreed that having a heavy vehicle license was an important responsibility, especially when drivers were carrying passengers.
However, he said that obtaining the license was a minimum standard. The education was continuous and it was the responsibility of the licensee and his employer to maintain the training.
One problem that had arisen throughout the investigation was that there appeared to be a general lack of knowledge about how air-over-hydraulic brake systems work.
Boldt read a statement from a detective saying that understanding the braking system was critical as it required the most information from a driver in an emergency situation.
Despite agreeing that there appeared to be a lack of knowledge about the brake system, McMinn said that a licensed driver who did not have this knowledge would still meet the minimum standards.
The investigation continues.
