Passengers Must Start Wearing Seatbelts On Tour & Express Buses From 1 July
Bus drivers must now ensure all passengers fasten their seatbelts before departure.
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All passengers and drivers on tour and express buses will be required to wear seatbelts starting Tuesday, 1 July, as mandated by the Road Transport Department (JPJ)
According to the New Straits Times, JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the rule currently applies to buses manufactured after January 2020, as these vehicles already come with seatbelts.
Bus drivers must now ensure all passengers fasten their seatbelts before departure, and passengers who fail to comply will be fined RM300.
"If drivers fail to remind passengers to wear their seatbelts, not only will passengers be fined, but the driver and the bus operating company will also be penalised.
"If the driver has reminded passengers, but they still refuse to wear seatbelts, only the passengers will be fined," Aedy said.
Buses manufactured before 2020 will be given time to install seatbelts to meet the new safety requirements
Although seatbelt installation has been mandatory in new express and tour buses since 2020, enforcement has been minimal.
"Previously, we adopted an advocacy approach, but starting 1 July , we will enforce it strictly," Aedy said during a press conference on Sunday, 29 June.
He added that, to ensure compliance, JPJ will review CCTV footage from buses to confirm whether drivers are reminding passengers to wear their seatbelts.
The department has also held discussions with bus operators to support enforcement efforts.
"We have issued guidelines, and we will not compromise on any violations committed," he said.
The move has been welcomed by road safety experts
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia Associate Professor Dr Ng Choy Peng said the initiative is one of the best ways to improve bus safety.
"Wearing a seatbelt ensures that occupants are secured during sudden braking, swerving, or collisions.
"Seatbelts also help to prevent collisions among passengers and reduce the risk of human collision during the accident," she said, reported the New Straits Times.
She added that research has also found seatbelt use can decrease the risk of fatal injury by 45% to 50% in serious accidents.
