Alberta looks at seatbelt rule in charter buses
By Jeremy Appel on January 26, 2019.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel The provincial government is examining the possibility of mandatory bus seatbelts in the wake of last year’s Humboldt tragedy and the more recent crash in Ottawa. If implemented, the regulations would be geared toward charter buses that travel high speeds on highways and school buses, not city transit, according to City of Medicine Hat manager of community access Simon Amos. He attended the prairie chapter of Canadian Urban Transit Association’s conference in autumn 2018, where representatives from Alberta Transportation told them of their plan to mandate seatbelts on certain vehicles. “Due to the low speeds of urban transit buses and the accepted practice of standing on buses, there would be no requirement for (city) buses to have seatbelts on them,” Amos said. “The province could change their minds but our understanding at the moment is that it wouldn’t affect transit buses.” Transportation Minister Brian Mason, himself a former bus driver, said in a statement that the provincial government’s push for mandatory seatbelts has been shared with its federal counterparts. “We have been re-examining the research and public concerns regarding the issue of mandatory installation and use of seatbelts on buses and have had discussions with Transport Canada about this issue as we strive for safer roads for everyone,” said Mason. Department officials attended a meeting this past week with the feds in Montreal on the minister’s behalf, he added. A spokesperson for Prairie Sprinter, the bus service that provides daily shuttles, as well as charter service, from Medicine Hat to Calgary and back, says its vehicles have always been equipped with seatbelts, including its 24-seaters. A representative of Pacific Western Transportation, owner of Southlands, which is contracted to provide many of Prairie Rose School Division’s buses, wasn’t available for comment by press time. 12
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