Hong Kong’s planned rollout of mandatory seatbelt use for bus passengers has been paused, marking a significant shift from safety rules announced earlier in January and highlighting the challenges of regulating large public transport fleets.
The original policy, confirmed by the Hong Kong Government on January 8, required all seated passengers on public transport and commercial vehicles, including franchised and non-franchised buses, to wear seatbelts from January 25, where belts were fitted. The change also introduced new limits on how many mobile telecommunications devices drivers could place in front of them while driving.
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According to reporting by Human Resources Online, the January 25 start date triggered widespread attention across the transport, construction and logistics sectors, particularly because the rules carried penalties of up to HK$5,000 and three months’ imprisonment for non-compliance in some cases. The publication noted that the measures were positioned as a major step forward in passenger and road safety, with authorities citing research showing seatbelts significantly reduce fatalities and serious injuries in collisions.
Bus operators had already begun adapting to the announced requirements. At the time, around 3,500 buses, representing about 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s fleet, were equipped with seatbelts following new vehicle procurements and government-subsidised retrofit programs for double-deck buses.
However, on January 30, the Transport and Logistics Bureau confirmed that the bus-specific seatbelt provisions would be repealed after legal advice identified technical deficiencies in the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2025.
As reported by Human Resources Online, the Bureau acknowledged mounting public discussion and controversy over the regulation’s scope, particularly whether the legislative wording accurately reflected the intent to extend seatbelt requirements to all vehicle seats. After consulting the Department of Justice, officials concluded that the provisions applying to buses did not fully align with that intent.
As a result, the Government will repeal the relevant sections of the regulation and will not enforce the bus passenger seatbelt requirement in the interim. Once repealed, there will be no statutory obligation for passengers to wear seatbelts on franchised or non-franchised buses, even though many vehicles are fitted with seatbelts.
The statutory requirement to wear seatbelts will remain unchanged for other vehicle types, including private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses, special-purpose vehicles and student service vehicles.
The reversal appears to change the position outlined earlier in the month, shifting from mandatory enforcement on buses to a pause while the framework is reconsidered. Authorities said they will gather views from transport operators, industry stakeholders and the public before consulting the Legislative Council and deciding whether to reintroduce revised bus seatbelt rules at a later date.
In the meantime, the government has said it will continue public education campaigns encouraging voluntary seatbelt use on buses where available.
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