Buses will remain off the road for the remainder of Friday following a wildcat strike by drivers. 

They are expected to return to work on Saturday.

“Discussions are continuing with the Transport Workers Union and with our workforce in relation to measures to reduce the impact of occupational violence on drivers,” Transport Canberra says in a media statement.

Transport Canberra’s light rail and special needs transport service continue to run as normal.

Meanwhile, ACT Greens transport spokesperson MLA Andrew Braddock says the Labor government needs to take urgent action to ensure a safe workplace for bus drivers.

“We’ve seen from inside government how Labor can be slow and complacent when the community is calling for urgent action,” he says.

“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.”