Emergency & Incident Management Policy

Emergency & Incident Management Policy

How We Prepare For, Respond To and Report Incidents, Aligned With Transport for NSW Requirements

On the rare occasion something goes wrong on a service, what matters is that it is handled calmly, safely and correctly. Sydney Charter Bus Australia maintains clear procedures for managing emergencies and incidents, from a minor delay to a serious safety event, and for reporting them to the right authorities in the right timeframe. Our approach aligns with the Transport for NSW Bus Operator Accreditation Scheme and the reporting duties set by the Office of Transport Safety Investigations.

This page explains how we prepare, how we respond, and how we report. It reflects our obligations under NSW passenger transport law and work health and safety law, and it sits alongside our on-the-day incident process. To report a service matter, see our Service Incident page.

Our Approach

Safety is managed, not left to chance. As an accredited NSW bus operator, we maintain a Safety Management System, and emergency and incident management is a core part of it. Two things guide everything in this policy: protect life and safety first, then report and act so the same thing is less likely to happen again. Every driver knows that in any emergency, the safety of passengers and other road users comes before the schedule, the vehicle or anything else.

On-the-Day Emergency Response

When an emergency happens, our drivers follow a clear order of priorities. The steps below apply to a collision, breakdown, fire, medical emergency or any serious event.

Other Reportable Occurrences

Beyond the immediate-notification list, the Passenger Transport (General) Regulation 2017 requires an operator to report an incident that involved or resulted in any of the following. We report these as required, and we also report anything that, in our reasonable opinion, is likely to create serious public concern.

Where OTSI requests it, we complete and submit the relevant bus incident investigation report within the required timeframe.

Investigation and Learning

Reporting is only half the job. Under our Safety Management System, an incident is recorded, investigated to an appropriate level, and used to check and improve our controls so the risk is reduced in future. Where OTSI or another authority requests information or an investigation report, we cooperate fully and provide it within the required timeframe. Serious matters are reviewed by management, and any lesson learned is fed back into our procedures, driver briefings and training. Our on-the-day reporting process for clients and passengers is set out on our Service Incident page.