Hong Kong halts mandatory seat belt rule for bus passengers amidst mounting controversy

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• The Government has confirmed the seat belts requirements will not be enforced during this interim period.
• The Bureau will consult the Legislative Council again and reintroduce the measures at an appropriate time after refinement.
• The statutory requirement for wearing seat belts on other vehicles, including private cars and taxis, very much remains in effect.

Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) has announced the suspension of recently enacted legal provisions requiring passengers on franchised and non-franchised buses to wear seat belts.

According to the TLB, public feedback and advice from the Department of Justice revealed technical deficiencies in the provisions, which do not fully reflect the original legislative intent. As a result, the Bureau will promptly repeal the relevant provisions through publication in the Gazette as subsidiary legislation.

Once repealed, there will be no statutory requirement for passengers to wear seat belts on franchised or non-franchised buses. During the period leading up to the repeal, the Government has stated it will not enforce the provision.

The statutory requirement for the wearing of seat belts on other types of vehicles, including private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses, special purpose vehicles, student service vehicles, will remain in effect.

As the next step, the TLB said it will gather opinions from various stakeholders, and explore how to ensure road safety while addressing the concerns raised during the implementation of new requirements. It will further consult the Legislative Council after optimising the arrangements, and reintroduce them at an appropriate time.

Meanwhile, the Government will continue to enhance publicity and education efforts to encourage the voluntary habit of wearing seat belts.

The mandatory seat belt requirements for public transport and commercial vehicles took effect on 25 January 2026, sparking significant public debate. Critics argued that the rules create unnecessary inconvenience and raised concerns about the severity of the penalties. Subsequent incidents – including a passenger trapped for 45 minutes after being unable to unbuckle a seat belt, and another seat belt being cut – further fuelled controversy.