Transwa asked to apologise by WA’s Equal Opportunity Commission for sitting Aboriginal people at back of bus

More than 60 years after Rosa Parks triggered a new chapter of the US civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat on a bus, the State Government’s own regional public transport provider has apologised and paid $2000 for seating Aboriginal people at the back. An Aboriginal woman had requested a seat towards the front of a bus for herself and her grandchild when booking tickets on a Transwa route from Geraldton to Perth late last year but was instead told to sit at the back, according to a complaint to WA’s Equal Opportunity Commission. When the grandmother noticed that other Aboriginal customers were also being seated at the back of the bus, she complained to the commission. Transwa, which is part of the Public Transport Authority, serves 240 towns in the southern half of the State. Commissioner John Byrne told The West Australian that the bus service, which he did not name as the process is confidential, had acknowledged through conciliation that the employee responsible did not follow their policy, although the officer claimed he acted in good faith. Transwa paid $2000, reimbursed the bus fares and issued a written apology to the woman. It also agreed to undertake cultural awareness training. A Transwa spokesman said it was policy for passengers to be invited to spread out through a coach when not all of the seats were sold, especially on a long trip. “In this instance, contrary to the normal practice, our officer directed the reallocation, rather than suggest or invite,” he said. “The placement of the passengers on the coach was random. “Transwa subsequently tendered a written apology and made a without-prejudice payment to the passenger. The officer concerned has been counselled and reminded of their training ... and the team has been identified for additional cultural awareness training.” At a time when discrimination against Aboriginal people is the subject of protests across the country, the incident invites comparison with Ms Parks’ history-making stand in 1955. In that case, Ms Parks refused to give up her seat at a time when African-Americans in the Alabama city of Montgomery were required to sit at the back of the bus and to give up their seat if those allocated for Caucasian people were full. Her arrest triggered a year-long protest led by Martin Luther King Junior and the bus segregation laws were ultimately overturned. The WA incident was one of those resolved by WA’s Commissioner in 2019-20, which saw 71 race discrimination complaints by the end of May. Mr Byrne said other complaints resolved this year included an Aboriginal man who was asked to pre-pay for petrol when non-Aboriginal people were not. The service station denied it was motivated by race but made an ex gratia payment of $1500 and apologised.