PETALING JAYA: Many foreign tourists are still unaware that wearing seat belts on buses is mandatory, says the Malaysian Tourism Federation.

Its president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel said the lack of awareness, coupled with differing safety standards in their home countries, contributes to the low compliance rate among foreign passengers.

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“In some places, seat belt use on buses is not strictly enforced, so they may not realise it is required here. The absence of clear signage or reminders onboard is also another reason,” he said.

Sri Ganesh said some tourists have expressed confusion about the rules, particularly on short-distance trips.

When it comes to ensuring passengers wear seat belts, he said the responsibility should be shared between bus drivers and tour guides.

“They are best positioned to conduct safety briefings and remind passengers to buckle up before each journey.

“Formalising the practice as part of the standard operating procedure would promote consistency,” he said.

Sri Ganesh added that while many reputable and licensed tour operators do ensure their buses are equipped with functioning seatbelts, there are inconsistencies, especially among smaller operators or older fleets.

“There’s room for improvement in terms of vehicle maintenance and regulatory compliance.

“Industry groups, together with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, are actively providing guidance and encouraging members to prioritise passenger safety,” he said.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said their members issue passengers a reminder each time they are seated and just before the trip begins.

“They will make an announcement reminding passengers to buckle up.

“Once all passengers are accounted for, the driver will conduct a sweep of passengers to ensure everyone is wearing their seat belts,” he said.

Mohamad Ashfar also said that this procedure will be repeated even at rest stops during long journeys.

“Our members have also been advised to place reminders in their buses,” he said.

However, Mohamad Ashfar said bus drivers and operators should not be held liable if passengers are caught flouting the rules.

“We would have done our part with reminders placed around the bus,” he said.

Starting July 1, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) began enforcing the mandatory installation and use of seat belts on all express and tour buses.

Following this, JPJ had issued a total of 1,194 summonses nationwide to bus passengers and drivers under the special seat belt enforcement operation.