There was no avoiding a conviction against his name but his lawyer, Sarah Saunderson-Warner, argued a period of driving disqualification should not be imposed.
Under the Land Transport Act, a ban can only be avoided if special circumstances exist.
Early on May 24, Hinds was driving his usual Go Bus route down Balmacewen Rd and was making a right turn down Grater St while the woman and her two friends were crossing.
Despite only travelling about 20kmh, the bus ploughed into the pedestrian.
The woman told the ODT her blindness might have actually helped her in the situation.
"I think that saved me in a way - I was up in the air and down and I was completely relaxed,'' she said.
Ms Saunderson-Warner said a combination of factors reduced her client's culpability.
The windscreen wipers did not go to the extremities of the windscreen on the bus and two vertical pillars at the front of the bus created blind spots, she said.
The victim was wearing dark clothing and the street lights were insufficient to illuminate her, the court heard.
But Ms Saunderson-Warner said Hinds accepted he should have seen the trio and admitted responsibility for the incident.
Judge Michael Crosbie agreed - with the support of the victim - the driver should not be disqualified.
However, he fined Hinds $400 and ordered him to pay the woman $200 to "ensure she's not out of pocket''.
Outside court, Hinds was asked how important it was that he kept his licence.
"It's big,'' he said.
He had left his car at home, expecting the worst. But driving the bus was not just about supplementing his superannuation.
"The social side is more important than a few hundred dollars a week,'' he said.
Despite the judge's decision, he said the greatest relief was going to the hospital and discovering the victim was not going to suffer any permanent damage.
