In wake of Humboldt Broncos tragedy, no word on whether seatbelts will be mandatory on buses
Posted April 17, 2018 9:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – As Canadians continue to grieve the tremendous loss of life in the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, the Trudeau government has not made a final decision on whether to make seatbelts mandatory on coach buses.
Mandatory seatbelts for medium and large-sized buses, including coach buses like the one involved in the Humbodt crash, is an idea the government put forward about a year ago.
While the potential regulations have been open for feedback from individuals and industry for some time, federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau can’t say when a final decision will be made.
“There’s a formal process that allows people to provide comment and we’re looking at a model quite similar to the United States, where they’ve gone forward with it. I can’t give you an exact date.”
Meanwhile, a BC Liberal MP is also asking for a committee study on bus passenger safety. Currently, there are no laws requiring passengers to wear seatbelts on buses.
On April 6, a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team was on its way to Nipawin when it collided with a semi-trailer truck. Sixteen people died and more than a dozen were hurt.
