Driver fears Busselton road danger
Busselton bus drivers are concerned badly maintained gravel roads in the region are a safety risk.
Kaloorup, Jacka and Price roads are some of the many badly damaged roads in the region, according to school bus contractor Neil Donaldson.
He said he has been forced to stop driving down the roads for fear doing so would cause a major accident while school children were on board. "Some parts of the road are shocking and I have even done damage to the bus because of it," he said.
"The roads desperately need to be graded before there is an accident and someone is seriously injured.
"A woman wrote her car off a few weeks ago with children in the car when she was driving down Kaloorup Road.
"Luckily, no one was injured.
"I have gone to the City of Busselton and they have told me they don't have enough money in the budget." City of Busselton director of engineering and works services Oliver Darby said the City regularly inspected the gravel roads and did not believe they were in poor condition.
"A recent inspection of Kaloorup Road revealed that the condition of this gravel road is satisfactory, with all sections meeting drivability testing at 80km/h," he said.
"Drivers on gravel roads, regardless of whether they are driving a car, a bus or a farming vehicle, must drive to the conditions.
"Kaloorup Road is scheduled for grading. These works will be undertaken in accordance with the City's road maintenance schedule."
WA Road Transport Association deputy chairman Ray Gannaway said it was a shame the City did not see fixing the roads as a priority.
"We lost a windscreen on one of our buses last week because of the vibrations and we were only travelling at 25km/h," he said.
"The roads are in very bad condition and have the potential to be very dangerous, especially in a bus that weighs 5 1/2 tonnes."
