Anti-social behaviour, particularly incidents involving rocks being thrown at passing buses, presents a real danger to passenger and driver safety. In late 2015, following a spate of rock throwing incidents in the Point Cook / Altona area, TSV joined a multi-agency task-force to target the issue.
Evidence from bus operators and Victoria Police identified children, particularly between the ages of 10 and 16, as the group most likely to be involved in rock throwing incidents.
One of the taskforce initiatives is the development and delivery of an interactive education program about safe and responsible behaviour. The program includes a teacher kit, materials, presentations and activities for students to participate in. The program is expertly designed for students at different age levels, and is being incorporated into the normal school curriculum.
TSV is financially supporting this joint industry and government safety initiative in 2016. The program is being trialed by TAC and BusVic in Term 2 this year and will be fully available to all schools in Term 3.