Page 1350 - Week 05 - Thursday, 25 June 1992

MINISTER FOR HEALTH

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION 150

ACTION Bus Drivers - Smoking

Mr Westende - asked the Minister for Health:

1. Does the Government ban smoking in an enclosed space?

2. If so, is an omnibus an enclosed place?

3. What is the difference between a passenger on an omnibus (who is not

permitted to smoke) and the driver who is allowed to smoke?

4. Why the exception?

5. Has the Government instituted airy action to prevent drivers from smoking on

buses; if so, what are the details of action taken?

Mr Berry - the answer to Mr Westende s question is:

1. The Government does not ban smoking in an enclosed public place.

However, the Government did make a commitment in its 1992 election

campaign to legislate to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.

My Department is currently examining the various options for giving effect to

this commitment and appropriate legislation will be introduced into the

Assembly during this Governments term of office.

2. It is unlikely that the proposed legislation will include omnibuses as the

smoking of tobacco on omnibuses is governed by the Motor Omnibus

Regulations.

The following information has been supplied by the Department of Urban Services.

3. Regulation 25A(1) of the Motor Omnibus Services Act 1955 states that "A

person, other than the driver, shall not take into an omnibus a cigarette, cigar,

pipe or other article that is alight".

4. This regulation is in place to recognise that bus drivers do not have the ability

to leave their place of work in order to smoke.

5. ACTION has adopted a policy of actively encouraging and supporting its staff

in their efforts to give up smoking through an on-going program of "Quit

Smoking" courses through its workplaces.

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