25th October 2025 – (Hong Kong) Plain-clothes police mounted a sting in East Kowloon on 24th October, issuing summonses to 31 public light bus passengers who failed to wear seat belts. Under the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations, passengers on public minibuses fitted with seat belts must buckle up or face a maximum fine of HK$5,000 and up to three months’ imprisonment.
The law is being widened in the new year. From 25 January, any passenger travelling in a vehicle equipped with seat belts will be required to wear one, extending the obligation to franchised buses, non-franchised coaches, school buses and cross-boundary services. Non-compliance will carry the same penalties of a HK$5,000 fine and a three-month jail term. Recognising the difficulty drivers have in monitoring every seat throughout a journey, the government has proposed that responsibility rests with passengers; drivers will not be held legally liable if a passenger refuses to fasten a belt.
Separately, new vehicles will be subject to stricter equipment standards. Subsidiary legislation tabled last month stipulates that from 25 January 2026 all newly registered student service vehicles must provide seat belts at passenger seats. From the same date, all new public and private buses (including franchised fleets) must have seat belts at every passenger seat, while private minibuses and the rear seats of goods vehicles must also be equipped. Special purpose vehicles will be required to fit belts for the driver and all passengers.
Franchised operators say they are already moving in this direction. Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) and Long Win stated that since 2018 every newly purchased bus has been delivered with seat belts at all seats. More than 2,500 buses across the fleets now have belts on all seats or on every seat on the upper deck, accounting for around 60 per cent of the combined fleet. Most buses serving high-speed routes have belts on all upper-deck seats, and designated seats such as the upper-deck front row and lower-deck rear are already fitted across the board. Notices are displayed in cabins to remind passengers to buckle up, with operators pledging further announcements on board and at stops to reinforce the message.
Child restraint rules are also tightening. From 1st November, children under eight years old and below 1.35 metres in height must use an approved child restraint when travelling in a private car, whether seated in the front or rear. Offending drivers may receive a fixed penalty notice of HK$230, or in serious cases be prosecuted with a maximum fine of HK$2,000. For children aged eight or above, or those at least 1.35 metres tall, a child restraint or an adult seat belt must be used. The Transport Department has reminded both local and cross-boundary private car drivers of the new requirements.
