Loose riders feel little impact from seatbelt crackdowns, remain unbuckled

Undercover police ticketed at least 31 minibus passengers for failing to wear seatbelts in East Kowloon last week, yet a follow-up ride-along by Sing Tao Probe reporters on the same Hang Hau-to-Choi Hung green minibus route found roughly half the travelers—especially the elderly, grocery-laden housewives, and short-hop commuters—still leaving belts undone despite the loom of a HK$5,000 fine.

A week after the sting, journalists boarded the identical route during two separate trips and observed the same lax habits persisting.

Elderly riders and women juggling shopping bags dominated the unbuckled crowd, while short-distance passengers often hopped on and off without bothering to click in.

On a busy red minibus line linking Kwun Tong and Ngau Tau Kok, the pattern repeated: at least half the seats remained belt-free, again led by seniors and those clutching heavy loads.

When approached after alighting, travelers looked sheepish. Some blamed overflowing grocery bags, others admitted simply forgetting, and a few insisted the brief journey made buckling seem unnecessary.

Yet awareness of the penalty is spreading. One woman explained that the recent enforcement blitz had jolted her into a new routine of fastening up the moment she sat down.

A university student added that hearing classmates had been fined convinced him to break a lifelong habit of riding loose.

Drivers, meanwhile, feel caught in the middle. One veteran behind the wheel recalled a minor rear-end collision where unbelted passengers tumbled like dice inside the cabin, suffering cuts and bruises.

He regularly urges older riders to buckle up but said constant mid-route stops make repeated reminders impractical, questioning whether blame should fall solely on him when passengers ignore the straps.

Police data for the first nine months of the year logged 5,448 seatbelt violations across districts.

Come January 25, the net widens—updated rules will mandate belts on all public buses, school coaches, tourist buses, cross-border shuttles, and designated seats in commercial vehicles, with offenders facing the same HK$5,000 fine and up to three months in jail