Linq Buslines fined after recruitment failures linked to fatal Hunter Valley bus crash

Linq Buslines and its directors, Christopher Terrence Fogg and Anthony John Royle, have been sentenced in Gosford Local Court following guilty pleas to heavy vehicle rule breaches. The company was fined $630,000 for one offence and $20,000 for a second, lesser offence.

The sentencing follows the June 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash at Greta, which resulted in ten deaths and numerous injuries. The prosecution, led by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, highlighted that the company’s recruitment processes were inadequate. Specifically, the company hired driver Brett Button, who was addicted to opioids, without requiring a medical assessment, a driving record, or proper references.

Court proceedings revealed a “disturbing culture” where recruitment was handled via “flippant” and “wholly inappropriate” text messages. One manager reportedly described bus drivers as “steering wheel attendants” who were “hard to come by,” suggesting a priority of expediency over safety protocols. The court found that Linq Buslines had exposed the public to an overwhelming risk of death or serious injury during the seven-month period Button was employed.