Seat belts a must on express tour buses in Malaysia from July 1

Passengers travelling on express and tour buses in Malaysia must wear seat belts from July 1 or risk being fined, the country’s Road Transport Department announced on June 29.

The rule applies to buses registered from Jan 1, 2020, onwards, which must be equipped with seat belts at every passenger seat, various Malaysian news outlets reported.

Buses built before that date will be given a grace period to install seat belts, the department said.

According to Malaysian daily New Straits Times, the department’s director-general Aedy Fadly Ramly said it has informed the industry that “a mechanism or standard operating procedure must be established at the bus company level to ensure drivers and passengers wear seat belts before the bus moves”.

He added that guidelines will be also issued to operators to help them in making this change.

Enforcement officers will conduct checks at terminals and highways and review CCTV footage inside buses to make sure that both drivers and passengers are following the new rule.

Drivers, passengers and bus companies can be fined RM300 (S$90) if drivers and passengers are caught without their seat belts on, reported Malaysian daily Malay Mail on June 29.

In his remarks to local reporters after attending the Road Transport Department’s Special Assembly on June 29, Datuk Aedy Fadly emphasised there would be “no compromise on violations moving forward”.

“We are currently reviewing and conducting engagement sessions with the industry to allow bus operators time to install seat belts for passenger seats,” he said, as quoted by The Star.

The change follows calls for stricter safety regulations after a fatal bus accident on June 9.

The bus, which was carrying 42 passengers, veered off the East-West Highway near Gerik in Perak, killing 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students.

Thirteen died at the scene, and