15 MarDid you know? ACECQA national transportation regulations

Posted on 15 Mar 2023

From 1 March, 2023 there have been changes to the ACECQA National Transport Regulations. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services are required to follow these changes as of 1 March.  

Here is a summary of the changes: 

• ensuring that if the service owns and operates a bus with 10 or more seating positions and provides regular transport to children of any age then it must be accredited by Safe Transport Victoria 
• ensuring a staff member or nominated supervisor is present at the service when children get on and off a vehicle. This person must be an additional person, it cannot be the driver of the vehicle. (Regulation 102E (4)(a), Regulation 102F (4)(a)) 
• ensuring each child getting on and off a vehicle at the service is checked against an attendance list, so all children are accounted for (Regulation 102E (4)(b), Regulation 102F (4)(a)) 
• ensuring the service immediately records when children get on and off a vehicle:  

1. 1. each child was accounted for 
   2. how each child was accounted for at the service premises 
   3. interior of vehicle was checked after all children have disembarked at the service premises
   4. date and time the record was made 
   5. full name and signature of the staff member making the record (Regulation 102E (4)(c), Regulation 102F (4)(a)) 

• ensuring an extensive check of the vehicle after children have got off to confirm no children were left behind on the vehicle (National Law: Section 16). 

ELAA has a Road Safety Education (RSE) and Safe Transport policy as part of our PolicyWorks Catalogue Annual Subscription, members can find this under the My Membership tab on the ELAA website.