New rules, new challenges: passenger trapped by seatbelt on Cheung Sha Wan bus

Hong Kong’s push for stricter bus seatbelt use produced an unexpected plot twist on Thursday morning, when a male passenger found himself firmly secured — a little too firmly — to his seat.

Police received a report that a man, about 40 years old, was unable to unbuckle his seatbelt while aboard a Citybus near Cheung Sha Wan Road outside Cheung Sha Wan Sports Centre. With neither patience nor pulling proving effective, firefighters were eventually called in to lend a hand.

The Fire Services Department said it received the call at 11.27am and dispatched three fire engines, an ambulance, and a fire motorcycle, along with 16 firefighters and four paramedics.

While waiting to be freed, the man reportedly felt unwell due to ventilation issues at the scene. He was later taken by ambulance to Caritas Medical Centre for treatment.

Citybus said the incident happened at around 10am on a Route 795X bus heading toward So Uk, after the driver was informed that one of the seatbelts could not be released.

Following established procedures, the driver arranged for the bus to stop at the nearest bus stop on Cheung Sha Wan Cheung Wah Street for handling.

After the driver reported the case to the bus control center, firefighters assisted the passenger in leaving his seat — finally allowing him to continue his journey, unbuckled.

Citybus said it attaches great importance to the incident and will inspect the seatbelt involved to determine the cause of the malfunction. The company apologized for the inconvenience caused to the passenger’s journey and travel experience.

In a further update, Citybus said it conducted an additional inspection of the seatbelt in the afternoon and found that a piece of aluminum foil inside the buckle had obstructed its normal operation. The company said it is investigating the case as a possible act of deliberate damage and will report the matter to the police.

Perhaps mindful that seatbelts have suddenly become Hong Kong’s newest relationship test, Citybus also said it has immediately stepped up inspections of seatbelts across its fleet to ensure they are in good working order.

Meanwhile, in response to the implementation of new seatbelt regulations, the company launched a dedicated inspection program, aiming to conduct in-depth checks on every seatbelt across its more than 1,700 buses in the short term.