Hong Kong to address comfort, hygiene concerns over seat belt law, as lawmakers urge review

2026-01-29 - 06:12

Authorities will address comfort and hygiene concerns over a new law requiring passengers to wear seat belts on buses, transport chief Mable Chan has said. Bus passengers wearing seatbelts, on January 28, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Addressing the press at the Legislative Council after meeting lawmakers on Wednesday, Chan said she had noted the public’s comments about inconvenience and discomfort regarding the wearing of seat belts on buses. “We aim to address and improve these matters as soon as possible, focusing on convenience and ease of use of the facilities, their cleanliness, and overall usability,” she said. The new regulation came into effect on Sunday, requiring passengers on buses to wear seat belts. Offenders face fines of up to HK$5,000 or three months in prison. The mandate also applies to rear seats in private light buses, goods vehicles, and special purpose vehicles. The law has been met with pushback from passengers over inconvenience. Meanwhile, authorities have defended the need for the new measures, citing safety as a major factor. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan. File photo: GovHK. Officials including transport chief Chan and Hong Kong leader John Lee said authorities will focus on public education and strike a balance between “empathy, reason, and law.” The government consulted the Transport Advisory Committee on the legislation, but did not conduct a public consultation. Explaining the need for the new regulation, Lee on Tuesday cited a report by an independent review committee following a 2018 bus accident in Tai Po that killed 19 people, saying that local authorities had referred to overseas jurisdictions. However, Ming Pao reported that the report made no suggestion for legislation. The report itself states that none of the overseas jurisdictions reviewed by the committee have statutory requirements for the provision of seat belts on passenger seats. Urban buses used for short journeys, running at moderate speeds, have no seat belt requirement, it adds. Bus passengers wearing seatbelts, on January 28, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chan did not directly address whether Lee’s remarks were misleading, but said that discussion about using seat belts to protect passengers “was not new.” She also did not directly answer when asked if the new legislation would be suspended, or if the authorities would adjust the penalty. Ben Chan was among the lawmakers who called for a review of the law half a year from now, noting passengers’ complaints. Speaking to RTHK, he said that the government did not need to delay implementation of the law, but hoped that it could be enforced with discretion. Lawmaker Lam Wai-kong, speaking to NowTV, said that buses could switch to lap belts instead of cross-body seat belts, and questioned whether the three-month jail penalty was necessary. “Must one be jailed for not wearing a seatbelt? I believe there is room for adjustment,” he said in Cantonese.