New seat belt mandate for buses in Malaysia praised by road safety experts, but plenty of challenges ahead

The government’s determination to marque the usage of spot belts mandatory for explicit and circuit autobus drivers and passengers from July 1 has been lauded by roadworthy information experts, the New Straits Times reports. However, ensuring afloat compliance volition instrumentality time, effort and outgo arsenic good arsenic clearer guidelines, they said.

According to Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia subordinate prof Ng Choy Peng, the inaugural was 1 of the champion ways to amended information connected buses, arsenic spot belts would guarantee that occupants are secured during abrupt braking, swerving oregon collisions.

“Research has recovered that spot loop usage tin alteration the hazard of fatal wounded by 45 % to 50% successful superior accidents. Seat belts besides assistance to forestall collisions among passengers and trim the hazard of quality collision during an accident,” she said.

While caller explicit and circuit buses were required to instal rider spot belts from 2020, enforcement of its usage was weak. “I anticipation the RTD volition behaviour regular checks to guarantee compliance of the spot loop regularisation connected explicit buses,” she said.

Transport argumentation adept Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said that portion enforcing spot loop usage has brought Malaysia successful enactment with planetary norms, clearer guidelines and a deadline for the installation of spot belts successful buses made earlier 2020 needs to beryllium successful spot earlier effectual enforcement tin happen.

“Telling passengers to loop up erstwhile the autobus isn’t equipped for it is similar asking idiosyncratic to fastener a doorway that doesn’t exist,” helium said, adding that galore buses successful Malaysia, particularly those built earlier 2017, did not person spot belts oregon had belts that were faulty, inaccessible oregon had been removed. “Without a retrofitting mandate and a realistic enforcement roadmap, this regularisation risks being unevenly applied oregon ignored,” helium explained.

Ng said retrofitting spot belts connected buses could beryllium technically and financially challenging for operators. Passengers whitethorn besides request clip to accommodate to the caller rules and regulations, she said.

“To facilitate this transition, autobus operators could spot stickers connected the backmost of each spot to punctual passengers to loop up, alternatively than relying connected the operator to guarantee compliance. It is indispensable for passengers to beryllium alert of the caller rules, including the information that nonaccomplishment to usage a spot loop volition effect successful a good of RM300,” she said.

Menawhile, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia subordinate prof Kamarudin Ambak said autobus passengers could beryllium reminded to deterioration spot belts akin to however it was done connected flights. “That is 1 mode to bring consciousness to passengers,” helium said.

The station New spot loop mandate for buses successful Malaysia praised by roadworthy information experts, but plentifulness of challenges ahead appeared archetypal connected Paul Tan's Automotive News.