Vol. 520 No. 4
153 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the proposals, if any, he has to ensure that the wearing of seat belts on buses will become compulsory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15956/00]
There are acknowledged difficulties in relation to the widespread mandatory requirement of seat belts in buses. Consequently EU and national regulations at present address the fitting of seat belts only in new minibuses, i.e. passenger vehicles with seating for more than eight persons excluding the driver and with a design gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500kg.
Current national regulations require the fitting of seat belts in all forward facing front seats in such vehicles, where these have been first registered on or after 1 January 1992. Where these seat belts are required to be fitted, passengers using the front seats are obliged to wear them.
EU Directive 96/36/EC permits members states from 1 October 1999 to require that all seating positions in new minibuses, as described above, are fitted with seat belts: vehicles designed to accommodate standing passengers are excluded. I have already stated that I will consider the question of adopting this requirement in the context of a consultation paper on wider issues of school bus safety which I intend to publish shortly.
