The provincial government is electing to take a back seat when it comes to seatbelts on school buses.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Transportation issued a statement to Vista Radio noting the School Bus Safety Task Force is not recommending mandatory installation of seatbelts on school buses.

Transport Canada, in partnership with the governments of B.C. and Ontario, conducted pilot projects between 2020 and 2023 in three school districts, including B.C.’s Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Fraser-Cascade.

The pilots studied ways to increase safety on school buses, including the use of seatbelts.

After the pilots ended, the School Bus Safety Task Force worked closely with the school districts involved to produce a consolidated findings report, which was released on the Council of Ministers website on in February of this year.

The statement also read that school buses are considered one of the safest vehicles on the road based on their unique design characteristics, which may not be present in motorcoaches.

These include high-padded impact cushioning seatbacks, seats placed close together that also have strong anchorages, emergency exits, traffic control devices, and enhanced body strength requirements.

Transport Canada stated that “As of 2018, students are about 80 times more likely to get to school safely on a school bus than by car.”

Motorcoach style buses (like those eBus and other carriers use) have been required to be manufactured with seatbelts since September 2020 and must comply with different federal safety regulations.

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