Most buses don’t have seat belts, admit private firms

PRIVATE bus operators have admitted the number of coaches, including school buses, equipped with seat belts is “minimal”.

The Private Association of Motor Bus Owners (PAMBO) yesterday said the Meath tragedy highlighted ongoing safety concern.

PAMBO general manager Michael Goodliffe said the vast majority of the 10,500 private coaches in Ireland did not have any safety restraints fitted.

About 1,300 private bus operators are sub-contracted by Bus Éireann to operate the school bus system.

Mr Goodliffe said there were no requirements on coach operators to have seat belts fitted to their vehicles, despite the obvious safety concerns for their members when transporting large groups of young children.

Bus Éireann said only 30% of the school bus fleet is equipped with seat belts.

PAMBO said any efforts to encourage greater use of seat belts among schoolchildren would be problematic due to the “three-for-two” system whereby three small children are allowed to occupy two bus seats.

School buses are licensed to allow a certain number of children stand when all seats are full, so many bus drivers would be reluctant to invest in new vehicles equipped with seat belts, he said.

Although an EU directive is due to come in to place in May 2006 to extend the obligatory use of seat belts to the occupants of all motor vehicles, including coaches and trucks, it will only be mandatory for vehicles fitted with seat belts. Mr Goodliffe said such a limited requirement made “an anomaly” of the situation.