Gold Bus Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh Coaches have been penalised by Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) for crashing into Melbourne’s Monatgue Street bridge in February 2016.
The 3.8-metre high Gold charter bus smashed into the 3-metre high railway bridge, injuring 11 passengers who were taken to hospital with extensive injuries, including one with broken bones and another who was in intensive care for three days. The injured bus driver survived the crash.
The Gold bus line, operated by Bacchus Marsh Coaches Pty Ltd, has been charged today with two officers breaching section 15 and 69 of the Bus Safety Act 2009.
TSV alleges the accused knew, or should have reasonably known, the risk posed by low clearance bridges and any available means to eliminate or reduce the risk.
TSV also says in a statement that the bus company did not use tatics to avoid the Montague Street bridge crash.
“Since the 2016 incident, the accused company has made efforts to mitigate the risk posed by low clearance bridges,” the regulator states. “TSV alleges that many of the measures taken were available and could have been implemented by the company prior to the collision.”
The maximum penalty for Bacchus Marsh Coaches in the case would be $1.4 million, and up to $285,426 for individuals. The filing hearing is scheduled for October 17 at the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court.
The accident happened to a group of investors at a conference looking into contributing to Australia’s tourism and major events industry.
Nearby South Melbourne Toyota dealership salesman Ramsey Melhem told The Age at the time the bus was never going to make it under.
“It was scary,” he tells The Age, “Something is always heppening down there with the trucks, things falling off, but this takes it to a new level.”
“I just don’t understand how (the driver) could have hit it – it was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to get through.”
