Advertisement

Why Australians are getting too fat for public transport

Bus operators around the country are struggling to keep buses within their ideal load range under the burgeoning weight of Australians.

Authorities are considering raising weight limits on public buses to cope with Australia’s growing obesity problem, with the average person’s weight blowing out in the past 20 years, according to a new report by the National Transport Commission.

• Obesity and asthma linked in new Aus/UK study
• Obesity ballooning in developing world

The average weight of Australian adults was 65 kilograms when the laws were designed in 1989. Today the average Australian male weighs 86 kilograms.

“It is possible that buses can be technically overloaded even when within their maximum passenger operating limits,” the report explains.

But obesity is not the only thing placing strain on buses, with air conditioning units, wheelchair ramps and rollover protection also overloading buses.

Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.