Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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516. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will legislate for seat belts on public buses; if not, why not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18088/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Ireland's Entry into Service regulations requires all buses to have Type Approval, which includes the specified standards for safety belts, where they are required, before they are used on the road.​ I understand that buses designed to operate in an urban environment, operating at reduced speeds (maximum 65km/h in Ireland if carrying standees) and with passengers in many instances, only having a short journey time, are not, in accordance with EU legislation, required to be fitted with safety belts. Due to the number of people these vehicles can carry, often for short distances, and at reduced speeds for safety reasons their design takes these factors into account while also considering the efficient and swift movement of passengers getting on and off the vehicle. Legislative provisions pertaining to safety belts on such buses will be reviewed in line with any future proposed amendments to European legislation in this regard.