MSPS have unanimously backed plans forcing all school buses to be fitted with seatbelts.
Currently legislation leaves it up to Scotland’s 32 local authorities to decide whether or not buses taking pupils to and from school need seatbelts, and just half of them do.
Earlier this year SNP MSP Gillian Martin introduced a Member’s Bill to make seatbelts a legal requirement.
There was cross party support for the proposals with many MSPs surprised that it wasn’t already the law. The bill was passed 102 votes to 0.
Martin, said it had been a “a very special afternoon.”
In a bid to make it more affordable to councils and operators, the new law will be staggered, coming into effect next year for vehicles transporting primary school children, and in 2021 for those carrying secondary school pupils.
It will apply to all road vehicles provided by local authorities, grant-aided schools or independent schools, such as buses, coaches, minibuses and taxis.
Tory MSP Peter Chapman said: “We hope that common sense will prevail and the wearing of seat belts will eventually become second nature.”
SNP MSP Gail Ross said: “We need to get children into the habit of wearing seatbelts. They need to know that being safe is cool.”
Green MSP John Finnie said that adults need to lead by example: “I was surprised recently to be on a bus and find I was the only one wearing a seatbelt,” he told MSPs.
Tory Jamie Greene said 45 children were injured between 2010 and 2015 on buses,”that is 45 too many in our eyes.”
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