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SINGAPORE: Some transport operators said they may switch to bigger buses to cope with the new seat belt rule.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced on Saturday that seat belts will be mandatory for all new mini-buses that have up to 15 seats.
The issue of seat belts on school buses has seen much public airing in recent weeks and some transport operators have started installing seat belts on their buses.
But many operators are still unsure if two-point or three-point belts work best for children and for some of them, the effectiveness of safety belts is secondary to aesthetic concerns.
Tan Siau Heng, Heng Bus Transport, said: "I have some buses which are 20-seater ones with seat belts, but I have removed them because seat belts make the bus look messy – I don't like it."
Transport operators have raised concerns over installation costs and rising petrol prices.
They also doubt parents would accept the expected 30 to 50 percent increase in monthly bus fees, especially when some of them are already paying over S$100 a month. The reduction in seating capacity leaves operators in a dilemma as well.
Some are considering using the 20-seater buses in their fleet to ferry students as these buses currently do not fall under the proposed regulations.
And while parents would still have to bear the costs of higher fuel consumption and additional seating capacity with a bigger bus, this will at most be a S$5 to S$10 hike.
But with industry players claiming to be operating below cost, many operators said they would like the government to help ease the high overheads with grants and subsidies.
- CNA/so
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