Hasty tourism operators are worrying the Automobile Association (AA) after a fourth crash involving a tour bus on South Island roads in the past five months.
One person was killed and at least 20 others were injured — two critically — in a serious crash north of Kingston, near the Devil’s Staircase, on Thursday afternoon.
The crash between a bus and two cars closed State Highway 6 for about eight hours.
Eleven ambulances and seven helicopters were needed to help transport the injured to hospital.
Yesterday, a police spokesman gave no further information on the incident or patient status.
No charges would be laid — if any — this side of Christmas.
AA Otago district council chairman Malcolm Budd said the crash was a tragedy.
“So many people injured, and a fatality which is devastating.”
He understood the coach at the centre of Thursday’s crash had crossed the centreline as it rounded a corner, clipping one vehicle and colliding with the second car.
Mr Budd said there had been an increase in coach travel around the country as New Zealand’s international tourist numbers recovered following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In July, one person received moderate injuries after a tour bus crashed into a power pole in icy conditions east of Alexandra.
It also cut power to hundreds.
Just days later, two tour buses rolled off the road in separate incidents near Tekapo.
Four international tourists were flown to hospital.
“There has been an issue with coaches, particularly with that double incident in Mackenzie Basin earlier in the year, and again with this one now in Kingston yesterday, which is actually concerning, really concerning,” Mr Budd said.
“Certainly there has been an issue with some of these foreign coach drivers running small tours around New Zealand.”
Often the tours were short and operators were rushing to cover as much of the country as possible, he said.
“We’re also very concerned about motorists who are actually having to deal with foreign visitors or foreign drivers on our roads.”
While authorities were doing their best to ensure tour bus operators followed the road rules, Mr Budd urged drivers to be aware of other motorists.
“When you’re travelling down the state highway, probably one in three vehicles come towards you, the driver is fatigued in some way or another.
“Whether he’s tired, whether he’s affected by alcohol or drugs, whether he’s unconfident, not the appropriate experience.
“People have got to be just aware of the road rules and drive to the conditions … and I think everyone will get from A to B safely,” Mr Budd said.
Bus and Coach Association chief executive Delaney Myers said she had heard unverified reports of inexperienced international operators setting up tour companies in New Zealand but did not believe there had been an increase in related crashes.
“The reality is we’ve got a huge number of buses and coaches travelling around the country and it’s simply a factor of volume that every now and then there’s going to be an incident that involves a bus,” Ms Myers said.
Travelling by bus remained the safest way to travel in New Zealand, she said.
“Anyone who’s accepting payment for transporting people should be doing so under a passenger service licence.
“There is certainly talk there are people who are running small tours without licensing but I just don’t know if that’s true or not.”
Ms Myers said New Zealand roads and conditions were difficult, particularly in Otago and during the busy summer period.
“Our advice would always be to be searching out a reputable operator that has lots of operating experience in New Zealand conditions.”
ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
