Bush students still bounced to school in no-belt buses last month as bus companies failed to take advantage of a $25,000 offer from the Commonwealth.

Dodging kangaroos at high speeds on dirt roads was one of the reasons a group of mums wanted their children buckled down.

They argued almost $200 million made in bus insurance claims in NSW between 1996 and 2006 would have been reduced with seat belts.

September marked the second anniversary of a $40 million allocation from John Howard’s Government toward seat belts in regional buses.

But there is concern these millions of dollars have been slow getting to bus companies under the Labor Federal Government.

Just $1.5m, less than five per cent of the $40m, had been spent as of September.

It should be 10 times that amount two years into what has become a lacklustre program.

Bus companies must apply for the Seat Belts For Kids money and there is no way under the program to force them into the voluntary scheme.

Since 2007, 47 buses had seat belts added, while the life-saving devices were included in 32 new buses – that was a total of 79 buses getting seatbelts in two years, almost 700 buses short of the target.

Dogs have to be legally restrained when travelling into town and so do loads of grain, but kids can tumble about inside a bus, argue outspoken mums throughout the State.

One of the most vocal pro-seat belt parents in NSW, mother-of-five, Fiona Hart, “Kynwoor”, Naradhan, wants federal legislation changed to protect rural pupils.

“It would cost $13,000 to have my children’s bus modified,” said Mrs Hart, who is organising a national protest day in the near future.

“This would include new seats plus belts and anchorage points.”

In 2007, then Prime Minister John Howard wanted to put seatbelts into 375 country buses every year for four years.