Enhancing Safety for Community Bus Services

As ergonomics and safety consultants, our mission is to create safer environments by anticipating risks and designing solutions tailored to the unique needs of different populations. We recognise that vulnerable groups often require careful consideration of their abilities, mobility, and safety. While our work is often preventative, sometimes it follows a tragic incident. This was the case for a community bus service providing transport for vulnerable members of the community.

The Challenge

Following a serious incident which led to a fatality, the organisation faced a significant challenge to investigate the risks in their transport service and mitigate or eliminate those risks. The service provided door-to-door transportation to children with special needs and the elderly. Their fleet of 20-seater community buses carried passengers who were often frail, mobility-restricted, or required additional support. This raised pressing concerns around safe access and egress, seating, and passenger restraint.

The service needed to restore confidence among families, carers, and the community while ensuring the highest practicable safety standards for its vulnerable passengers. Meeting these responsibilities meant reviewing not only the physical design of buses, but also driver training, passenger eligibility criteria, and operational practices.

Our Approach

To fully understand the operational risks, we:

• Met with key stakeholders, including drivers and management, to discuss technical and operational needs.
• Reviewed documentation on incidents, eligibility criteria, and mobility support.
• Conducted site visits to inspect buses and observe operations.
• Analysed mobility requirements of passengers and staff responsibilities, including the correct use of Wheelchair Tie-Down and Occupant Restraint Systems (WTORS).

We identified 19 unique risk areas and provided clear recommendations across critical safety features, including:

• Passenger eligibility and mobility definitions
• Pathways, steps, and doorways
• Accessible seating and allocated wheelchair spaces with appropriate restraints
• Handrails, grabrails, and floor surfaces
• Boarding devices and call buttons
• Lighting, listening systems, and storage of belongings
• Driver and attendant training

For each hazard, we outlined why it posed a risk, its priority, and the recommended control measures, including specifications for dimensions, placement, and safe use. Advice was also provided for the system of purchasing of new buses as routine replacement was part of the operation.

The Outcome

The community bus service implemented a number of our recommendations, strengthening both the physical design and operational safety of their fleet. By adopting these measures, the organisation not only met the coroner’s recommendation but also rebuilt trust with the community it serves.

The result is a safer, more inclusive transport service where vulnerable passengers—and their families—can feel reassured that every journey prioritises their wellbeing.

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