Make seat belts must in passenger buses: UP transport dept to Centre

Seat belts are only for persons occupying front-facing rear seats in vehicles that do not have more than eight seats, according to present rules

The Uttar Pradesh transport department has urged the Centre to make the use of seat belts mandatory in all passenger buses, including school buses and other heavy vehicles, people aware of the matter said. The move, they said, was aimed at minimising deaths and injuries in road accidents.

The aim of the move was to minimise deaths and injuries in road accidents (HT File Photo)

The current rules have the seat belt provision only for persons occupying front-facing rear seats that too only in those vehicles that do not have more than eight seats, apart from the driver’s seat.

The department has made the recommendation it received in this regard from social activist, technocrat and Sarvebhyo Foundation founder Alok Singh.

“You are requested to consider amending section 125 (1) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989/issuing necessary directions providing for seat belt use by all people in passenger buses of all categories,” additional transport commissioner, enforcement, VK Sonakiya said in a letter to the joint secretary, road transport and highways, on November 3.

Sub-rule 1(A) of the Rule 125 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules mandates that the manufacturer of every motor vehicle of M1 category shall equip every motor vehicle with a seatbelt for a person occupying the front-facing rear seat.

“This sub-rule in simple terms means that apart from the driver and co-passenger seat in the front, the seat belt for the front-facing rear seat passenger is mandatory in only those vehicles that do not have more than nine seats, including the driver seat and it is not mandatory for passengers of a vehicle having more than nine seats,” Alok Singh explained in the proposal.

“This also means that even for eight-seat vehicles, the seat belt is not mandatory for seats that are in a vertical position not facing the front of the vehicle,” he added. All school buses, he pointed out, had more than nine seats.

“There have been heart-wrenching passenger bus accidents resulting in loss of innocent lives. Many of them would have been saved had they been wearing seat belts,” Singh claimed.

He suggested that apart from the provision of seatbelts in all passenger buses and heavy vehicles, there must be an additional provision of instructions being played out on sound systems urging passengers on board to fasten their seat belts.