This newspaper proposes that the Transport Ministry also makes it mandatory that new school buses come with factory-installed safety belts as standard equipment. Bus operators placing vehicle orders will have to have the manufacturers meet the LTA's specifications on belts. It is not recommended that new vehicles be fitted with belts here only after delivery. There are reasons for our concern. Aside from knowing which type of belt is best for children (this has been a subject of considerable research overseas), it is not known if there are workshops here which are capable of meeting the exacting performance standards of fitting belts to match the vehicle and seat design. Seats that are high- backed, low-backed and how they are anchored require different belt designs. Crash tests have shown that belts that are ill-fitting or improperly worn can cause injuries to the wearer in crashes, such as in the pelvic region, the neck and shoulders.

This is why the retrofitting should not be thought of as a routine workshop job. Would many of the existing buses be suitable for retrofitting? It is possible that a good number of them cannot be fitted because the seats are in poor condition. How long the retrofitted ones will stay in service is another poser. Ideally, current school buses, many of which have been described by students as rickety, should be phased out quickly to make way for a completely new fleet. A one-off tax incentive could be offered to school bus companies to encourage them to make the conversion.