“Buckle Up or Face the Law”: Sri Lanka Enforces Seatbelt Rule for Bus Drivers

COLOMBO (News 1st); The National Transport Commission has announced that starting today (1) , the law requiring public transport bus drivers to wear seatbelts will be strictly enforced across Sri Lanka.

Although seatbelt use has long been mandatory for drivers, enforcement in the public transport sector has been lax—until now.

Minister Bimal Rathnayake revealed that the next phase of enforcement will begin in September, when seatbelt use will become mandatory for all passengers on expressway buses. Rear-seat passengers in private light vehicles will also be required to buckle up.

Minister of Transport Bimal Rathnayake personally inspected SLTB and private buses at the Pettah bus terminal this morning, engaging directly with drivers and passengers.

“From today onward, it’s mandatory,” the Minister declared, pointing to a driver’s seat.

Rathnayake emphasized that the new regulation is not just a bureaucratic formality but a life-saving measure.

Traffic police and Road Passenger Transport Authority officials began inspecting buses in Colombo and other major cities today. In Kurunegala, several private buses were found without seatbelts.