Supplementary to question No. 3 in the
Legislative Council on 9 January 1985
:
PA
T463/1
Mr. F.K. Hu - Can the Secretary for Transport advise this Council whether there
is any programme for enforcing seat belt wearing in other types of vehicles?
Secretary for Transport : Yes, Sir. In regard to goods vehicles it will be some
time before we can bring in seat belt wearing compulsorily because the majority
of these vehicles cannot be fitted with seat belts because they do not have suitable
anchorage points; so it is therefore not feasible on financial and engineering
grounds to require installation retrospectively. In regard to seat belts in the
categories of taxis and light buses we have already laid the foundations for
these. Regulations enacted in 1983 provide that by 1 January 1986 all taxis
registered and manufactured after 1980 shall be fitted with seat belts for the
drivers' seats and specified passengers seats. This will include most taxis
because by 1986 there will not be many taxis over six years old. In regard to
light buses, the regulations require that since 1983 all light buses will have
to have seat belts fitted on their seats. There is a problem with a number of
existing buses here: retrospective application, I mean by that,
because only
the most recent models do actually have anchorage points. Finally in regard to
seat belts in the rear seats of private cars we are putting detailed proposals
to the Transport Advisory Committee later this year.