Malaysia will require all express and tour bus passengers to wear seatbelts starting Tuesday. The Road Transport Department will begin enforcing the new rule on buses made after January 2020. Older buses receive extra time to install the safety equipment. The department announced the change after years of promoting voluntary compliance. Officials will conduct strict enforcement from the start date.
Bus drivers must remind all passengers to fasten their seatbelts before departure. Passengers who refuse to wear seatbelts will pay fines of 300 ringgit each. Drivers and bus companies also face penalties if they fail to give safety reminders. Traffic enforcement officers will review security camera footage to verify compliance. The recordings will show whether drivers issued proper warnings to passengers.
The new safety measures follow a deadly bus accident that occurred earlier this month. Fifteen university students died when their bus crashed near Gerik on June 9. The vehicle carried 42 passengers and veered off the East-West Highway during the trip. Emergency responders pronounced 13 victims dead at the crash site. Two additional passengers died later at local hospitals.
University students affected by the tragedy plan to file lawsuits against the bus driver and transportation company. The Road Transport Department had previously used education campaigns to promote seatbelt use. Department officials held meetings with bus operators before announcing the enforcement policy. The new rules apply to all express buses and tour vehicles operating across the country.
Bus drivers must remind all passengers to fasten their seatbelts before departure. Passengers who refuse to wear seatbelts will pay fines of 300 ringgit each. Drivers and bus companies also face penalties if they fail to give safety reminders. Traffic enforcement officers will review security camera footage to verify compliance. The recordings will show whether drivers issued proper warnings to passengers.
The new safety measures follow a deadly bus accident that occurred earlier this month. Fifteen university students died when their bus crashed near Gerik on June 9. The vehicle carried 42 passengers and veered off the East-West Highway during the trip. Emergency responders pronounced 13 victims dead at the crash site. Two additional passengers died later at local hospitals.
University students affected by the tragedy plan to file lawsuits against the bus driver and transportation company. The Road Transport Department had previously used education campaigns to promote seatbelt use. Department officials held meetings with bus operators before announcing the enforcement policy. The new rules apply to all express buses and tour vehicles operating across the country.
