The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker

For decades, the Australian bus and coach industry has been a masterclass in compliance:  steering through the complex web of fatigue management regulations, vehicle standards, safety duties, and “following the rules”.

But in a modern transport landscape, being legal is no longer the same thing as being professional.

The most difficult challenges – the split-second decisions made by a driver on a rainy night or the culture of reporting in a busy depot – are difficult to define in a handbook let alone measure.

With “unsafe” bus travel continuing to hit the headlines, is it time for the whole of Industry across Australia to move beyond a culture of compliance toward a Living Code of Ethics and Conduct? - a “Bus Sans Frontières” initiative that embeds professionalism and safe conduct in every moving part of our system – from the air‑tank maker to the depot allocator, from the upholsterer to the school‑bus driver or coach captain.

Because in truth, our industry is not so different from the old nursery rhyme: the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker – three trades sharing one small boat, each relying on the others to stay safely afloat.

The modern bus industry is its own version of that boat. The fabricator who welds a bracket slightly off‑centre. The scheduler who squeezes a turnaround because “it should be fine”. The driver who hesitates to report feeling fatigued. The contractor who cuts a corner because the job is tight.

Each one is a small act, but together they shape the culture we travel in.

A Living Code of Ethics recognises this interdependence.

It says: professionalism is not a badge worn by the driver alone, nor a compliance certificate on a depot wall. It is a shared standard – a cultural contract – that binds the whole ecosystem, from the parts supplier to the policy writer, from the workshop apprentice to the CEO.

Lessons from the Finance Sector

We need only look at the Australian banking and finance sector to see how this transition works. Following the 2018 Royal Commission, the finance industry underwent a painful but necessary realisation: they had focused so much on whether an action was legal that they forgot to ask if it was right.

The result was intensified regulatory and industry focus on ethics, accountability and professional standards across the financial services sector. It shifted the industry from a tick-the-box mentality to a professional standard where practitioners are held accountable to the public trust.

The bus industry sits on a similar foundation of high-stakes public trust. While a banker manages a family’s life savings, a bus operator manages their physical lives. If the finance sector – an industry built on data and numbers – requires a moral “North Star” to function, then surely an industry built on the safe movement of human beings requires one even more.

Why the Bus Industry Needs a Shared Standard

The sweep of safety reforms in recent times is starting to demand what ethics has always suggested – safety is not a static destination reached by following a manual, but a continuous, living responsibility: a “living code” within the core business framework and embedded within the day-to-day of the product and service delivery.  

Governments can set the standards, but it is up to us as professionals to define the spirit of that standard. And whilst there are many singular programs and taskforces across Industry, they stand separately. There are several notable examples of safety schemes across corporate Australia, however, active role‑modelling can only get you so far.

Of course, arriving at a shared national view will not be simple. Our industry is diverse, decentralised, and shaped by different state and territory frameworks. Consensus is never guaranteed. But that is precisely why a Living Code matters. Not as a top‑down directive, but as a conversation starter – a framework that any operator, supplier, association, or jurisdiction can adapt and contribute to over time.

Imagine an industry where professionalism is not imposed but shared; the whole boat rows in the same direction. Where the fitter, the scheduler, the contractor, and the driver all share the same compass. Where each state, each operator, each association contributes to a common spine of conduct – not identical, but aligned in purpose. Varenya Mohan-Ram, Executive Director at the Bus Industry Confederation, has been speaking this language of a “unified unit” since he took his seat at the national table in March 2025.

What a Living Code Looks Like in Practice

A Living Code will not solve every challenge. But it can give us a place to start – a way to talk about professionalism that belongs to all of us, not just the rulebook; where the everyday decisions that keep people safe are supported by a shared understanding of what good judgement looks like.

A Living Code shows up in the small things: a two‑minute daily safety briefing –  a driver reminding passengers to buckle up –  an apprentice logging a minor defect instead of leaving it for tomorrow – a contractor stopping a task because something doesn’t look right (and knowing they’ll be backed for it) –  a depot supervisor asking: “Are you fit for duty today?” (and meaning it).

A Living Code requires daily application, active participation and a commitment to continuous improvement.

A Living Code is not a new rulebook – it is a common language for professionalism – it is a way of working that strengthens trust, sharpens judgement, and keeps our people and our passengers safe.

foqus247 is doing our small part by building tools that support the everyday behaviours behind a Living Code – clearer policies, safer decisions, and a culture where good judgement is easier to practice.

---