Govt. tightens seat belt rules to boost safety drive

Wednesday, 2 July 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

All bus drivers must wear seatbelts while operating on any road with immediate effect
From 1 August, rear-seat passengers in light vehicles on expressways must also buckle up
From 1 September, all expressway passengers regardless of seat position must wear seatbelts
Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake says measures target to reduce high rate of road fatalities
Opines bus owners unwilling to invest on safety gears should consider exiting industry altogether
NTC Chairman warns non-compliant bus drivers will face legal action

The Transport and Highways Ministry yesterday announced sweeping new seat belt regulations to strengthen road safety and reduce fatalities as part of its broader 85-point National Road Safety Plan.

Effective immediately, all bus drivers will be required to wear seatbelts while operating on any road and from 1 August rear-seat passengers in light vehicles travelling on expressways must also fasten their seatbelts.

The rules will tighten further from 1 September when it will become mandatory for all vehicles on expressways to wear seatbelts, regardless of the seating position.

Speaking to the media, Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake said the measures were introduced to address the country’s high rate of road accidents and fatalities.

“A large number of lives are lost due to road accidents and this decision was taken to prevent such situations,” he said during an inspection at the Colombo Central Bus Stand.

The Minister acknowledged that while seatbelt laws for drivers and front-seat passengers of light vehicles have been in force since 2011, bus and lorry drivers as well as many rear-seat passengers had largely remained outside enforcement scope. This gap has contributed to avoidable injuries and deaths.

“Wearing seatbelts will be mandatory for drivers of buses and lorries from now. This was not merely a legal enforcement effort, but part of a broader Government initiative aimed at minimising the damage caused by accidents,” Rathnayake stated.

After speaking to bus drivers, he opined if the bus owners are unwilling to invest in safety features such as seat belts and headrests, they should consider leaving the industry altogether.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) Chairman Engineer P.A. Chandrapala reiterated the Minister’s warning, announcing that bus drivers who fail to comply will face strict legal action.

He noted that despite the Motor Traffic Act making seatbelts mandatory from as far back as October 2011, weak enforcement had allowed many drivers to ignore the law, contributing to the rising toll of road injuries.

The Ministry underscored that these regulations form a critical pillar of its long-term strategy to improve public safety on roads, and said it would step up monitoring and enforcement to ensure compliance in the months ahead.

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