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Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 31):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) given that the authorities have required that with effect from August 2004, if public light buses (PLBs) are equipped with seat belts, passengers are required to wear them, of the number of prosecutions instituted by the authorities up to the present against passengers who contravened such requirement and the penalties imposed on them; and among such cases, of the respective numbers of those uncovered by the police during inspections and those reported by the public; and
(b) given that many people have related to me that the passenger seat belts currently equipped on PLBs are lap belts, which are not as safe as the body restraining seat belts used in private cars, whether the authorities will review the design of the passenger seat belts on PLBs, in order to provide passengers with better safety protection?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) Under the existing Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations (Cap. 374F), a public light bus (PLB) passenger is required to wear a seat belt if it is provided for his seat. Any passenger who contravenes the requirements liable to a fine of $5,000 and to imprisonment for 3 months.
Since the legislation took effect on August 1, 2004 and up to September 30, 2007, the total number of prosecutions instituted by the Police against PLB passengers who contravened the seat belt requirement was 3,353. The fines imposed by the court ranged between $50 and $540. So far, no PLB passenger has been sentenced to imprisonment for breaching the seat belt requirement.
The Police do not have a breakdown of statistics on how the offences are detected (for example, during police inspection or through reports by members of the public), but the majority of the 3,000 plus prosecutions should be detected by police officers during inspection. When there are reports from the public, the Police will undertake investigation or enhance patrol based on the information gathered.
(b) According to existing legislation, a seat belt fitted on a passenger seat on PLBs can be a "body restraining seat belt" (i.e. 3-point seat belt) or a "ap belt" (i.e. 2-point seat belt). Whichever type of seat belts fitted on vehicles will have to comply with the international standards specified in the law. The provision of high back seats on PLBs to enhance passenger safety is also a legal requirement. A high back seat is padded with soft materials. In case of an accident, it can absorb the energy of possible impact between the body (particularly the head) and the back rest of the seat in front, thereby reducing the level of injury. A "lap belt" fitted to a high back seat has proven to be effective in passenger protection and meets the relevant international standards. Lap belts are also more convenient and easier for passengers to wear. We do not have any plan at this stage to amend the requirements on seat belts on the passenger seats on PLBs.
Ends/Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:55
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