Driver risks lives after driving on wrong side of road to skip traffic
Disturbing video has emerged of the moment a Sydney bus driver crossed over double white lines just metres from head-on traffic at a busy intersection.
Police and the NSW Transport Minister are furious, saying lives were put at risk.
Stuck in traffic, the driver made a reckless move onto the wrong side of the road, picking up speed and turning the heads of stunned pedestrians as it narrowly avoided a truck coming the other way.
It was driving from Miranda to Rockdale via Ramsgate when it made the illegal journey down Bay Street.
It was just before 3pm on the last day of school, the bus was carrying 18 passengers at the time.
“In a built-up area, a bus going down the wrong way poses significant risks, not only to other road users but also to any passengers that are on board the bus,” NSW Police’s Phil Brooks said.
Seven News can reveal the bus driver told police he simply made a mistake by overtaking 13 cars and passing pedestrians, including a mother with a pram.
It’s also been revealed that the bus was not running late when the incident occurred.
Locals say poor intersection design makes the stretch congested.
“It is a bit dangerous, but I don’t think the bus drivers are completely at fault,” one local said.
On Thursday afternoon police visited the driver’s Tempe depot, booking him with negligent driving after an hour-long interview.
The driver has lost three demerit points and was fined $450.
He’s been suspended by the bus contractor but NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance wants more action.
“That driver should quite frankly go and walk the plank,” Mr Constance said.
The driver, a 36-year-old male, has been a bus driver for six years.
