As Canberra faces widespread disruption from today’s bus driver strike, the ACT Greens have lashed the Labor government, calling on them to take urgent action on public transport safety.

The strike, sparked by a growing number of assaults on bus drivers and a lack of protective measures, has highlighted just how many Canberrans rely on reliable, safe public transport.

According to the ACT Greens, today’s events underscore an urgent need for the government to address workplace safety concerns for bus drivers and improve public transport access across the city.

“We’ve seen from inside government how Labor can be slow and complacent when the community is calling for urgent action,” said Andrew Braddock, ACT Greens Member for Yerrabi and spokesperson on Transport.

“This strike is an expression of huge frustration on the part of drivers who don’t feel safe in their workplace. The workers say they have made hundreds of other approaches to Labor’s Transport Minister [Chris Steel], who has been in charge since 2019, but is still yet to implement agreed safety measures.

“Public transport is important to this community. The impacts of today’s strike on school kids, families, people trying to get to work or appointments has made that plain.

“The ACT Government has to look after the people who provide the service, so they can look after all the people who rely on it. Particularly as we look to increase the number of drivers and services in 2025.

“The Greens have chosen to work from the crossbench this term to get a better deal for Canberrans.

“We’ve provided supply and confidence to Labor on certain conditions, including that they will increase bus frequency on weekdays and weekends starting in 2025.

“More frequent buses will need more drivers so it’s critical the government supports bus drivers to have a safe workplace.

“We all want Canberra to be a liveable city that’s easy, comfortable and affordable to get around. But right now, too many people are locked into the expense of running a car, because the alternatives just aren’t good enough.

“At the same time, transport emissions are the ACT’s biggest polluter and they’re still rising.

“To address the climate crisis and the cost of living we need to make public transport a frequent, reliable, and convenient option for more Canberrans.”

Transport Canberra announced this afternoon that they expect regular bus services to resume tomorrow, Saturday 16 November.