Seat belts to be mandatory in expressway passenger buses from August 31

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee in Parliament, the Minister said the move is part of the “Clean Sri Lanka” program, with a three-month grace period given for installing seat belts in school, office, leisure tour, and other passenger buses operating on expressways.

He noted that the price of seat belts has risen from around Rs. 2,000 to between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 7,000, and urged the Consumer Affairs Authority to monitor the increase.

Public consultations conducted by ‘Citra Innovation Lab’ showed strong support for making seat belts mandatory in long-distance buses, with regulations for those services expected soon.

The Minister also revealed plans for a new system to inspect and rate spare parts before vehicles enter expressways, and said unsafe tires would not be permitted. Additionally, arrangements have been made to establish a welfare fund for private transport drivers, with a draft bill to be presented to Parliament shortly.