The Territory Government, in partnership with RADD Ambassadors Shannon Rioli, Lauren O’Shea and Phillip Wills, launched the Respect Your Driver campaign, encouraging Territorians using public transport to ‘bus better’.

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) developed the Respect Your Driver campaign in consultation with the public bus operators, to raise awareness of appropriate behaviour when traveling on public transport and interacting with bus drivers.

Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Executive Director of Transport Safety and Services, Simon Saunders, said the campaign was an important initiative to combat anti-social behaviour and for passengers to be mindful of their bus drivers.

“The Respect Your Driver campaign aims to raise awareness and change people’s behaviours towards bus drivers by personalising the story, and reminding passengers that they’re just like them - people with families who are just doing their job and want to get home safely,” said Mr Saunders.

"Everyone deserves the right to feel safe on our buses, and if you’re catching public transport, it pays to be respectful, and to ‘bus better’.”

RADD Ambassador and NT Thunder star, Shannon Rioli, said being loud and disruptive can alarm other passengers and distract bus drivers, and inappropriate behaviour across the Territory’s bus networks is not on. 

“I’m pleased to be part of the Respect Your Driver campaign, to address poor passenger behaviour directed towards our bus drivers, and to remind public transport users to be mindful to those who are helping them get home,” said Mr Rioli.

“If you act inappropriately on public transport you could find yourself with a fine, being banned from using the bus network or even arrested.”

Buslink Manager, Ross Robertson, said it’s important to respect your drivers and fellow passengers by behaving calmly and politely on public transport.

“More importantly, we want safer working conditions for the bus drivers. We want our drivers to be able to come to work feeling safe and to go home happy,” Mr Robertson said.

The integrated campaign features advertising across the bus networks, including on 15 buses, on-board signage as well as signage at bus stops and interchanges, across social media, select television channels and the web, and will run until June 2019.

RADD, standing for Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes against drink driving is a social movement initiative led by a number of prominent stars across Australia, encouraging responsible behavior on our roads. One of RADD’s key motivators to tackle drink driving is to encourage its audience to use the public transport system. 

The Alcohol Policing Unit from Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services will continue to work with the Territory Government’s Transit Officers on an operational level to increase the safety of drivers and to reduce anti-social behaviour on public transport.

ENDS

Media Contact

Rowland Richardson - 0437 868 115