Sydney Bus Drivers Under Spotlight by Transport for NSW

UNSUSPECTING passengers are unknowingly getting Sydney bus drivers that have been charged with with sex offenses or violent behaviour because of false declarations made by drivers at the time of applications or renewals for drivers authorities (licenses to carry public passengers) in 2011.

This has been made worse by the fact that Transport for NSW departments are not doing background checks and lax licensing rules.

At least 17 bus drivers have had their licenses and or drivers authority cancelled and of those 3 have appealed the decision at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 2 bus drivers failed to get reinstated and 1 withdrew their case.

Under strict NSW conditions of their drivers authority licence, all drivers are required to declare any criminal history past, present and pending. They are required to notify Transport for NSW if they have a run-in with the law.

Many have flouted this rule by failing to declare that they are facing or had criminal charges.

Transport For NSW has begun checking its database of bus drivers against police records and moved to ban or suspend drivers found to have not declared they are facing charges and have so far suspended a further 22 licenses in 2011.

This flouting of the law extends to the taxi driver industry with over 30 drivers under investigation, have been cancelled or pending decisions from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal while hire car drivers are also under the spotlight with more suspensions and cancellations predicted.

Source: The Daily Telegraph