Mumbai: The move to make seat belts available for bus commuters by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation is aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries from accidents.
Diwakar Raote, Maharashtra State Transport Minister said “The idea was put forward after two bus accidents, the Mumbai-Pune express highway accident, in which 17 were killed and the truck-jeep accident in Dhule, in which 18 people died. After visiting the site of the accident at Panvel, he felt the need to implement seat belts.”
The proposal states that injuries can be avoided by making seat belts available for every seat. Currently only three seats — the driver’s seat and the two passenger seats behind it — have seat belts.
Raote also said “The number of fatalities in the expressway bus accident would have been less, if all the passengers had seat belts. In the absence of seat belts, they were hurled away from their seats. Buses plying long routes like Mumbai-Kolhapur would receive seatbelts first.”
The transport body is exploring the possibility of displaying advertisements on the seat belts, to help pay for them.