SINGAPORE: All small buses will be required to install seat belts in their vehicles over the next five years, with the government forking out S$35 million to help operators defray the costs.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday that the operators will have to install three-point seat belts and not lap belts, and will also have to ensure that the seats are forward-facing.

Small buses typically carry up to 15 passengers.

For newly registered small buses, the new requirements will kick in from April 1 next year.

For existing small buses carrying school children, they will have to complete the retrofitting within three years - by 31 December 2011.

All other small buses will have a five-year period to comply - seat belts will have to be in place by 31 December 2013.

There are currently about 6,400 small buses in Singapore, of which less than 20 per cent, or about 1,200 buses, ferry school children.

The bus operators will be compensated with S$4,000 per vehicle, a sum which the Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Lim Hwee Hua, said is more than adequate to cover the cost of installing the seat belts.

For small school buses which may be affected by a reduction of capacity as a result of the installation, they will be given an extra compensation of between S$1,000 and S$3,000.

LTA said details of the requirements are finalised after consultations with key stakeholders as well as recommendations from international consultants.

- 938 LIVE/yb