Committee of MPs decides against calling for school bus seat belts

OTTAWA — A committee of MPs who conducted a probe into bus passenger safety in Canada has decided not to call for seat belts to be installed in Canadian school buses, urging instead the need for further study.

The House of Commons transportation committee launched an investigation into bus safety, including school buses, following the deadly Humboldt Broncos crash in Saskatchewan that killed 16 people and injured 13 others.

The committee’s final report included a number of recommendations to beef up safety requirements for passenger buses, including motor coaches and transit buses.

But the committee says conflicting evidence from experts about seat belts on school buses points to the need for further study.

The MPs say school bus seat belts are neither a panacea nor the only solution to increasing school bus safety while acknowledging they do prevent certain types of injuries.

Gary Lillico, a school bus driver in British Columbia who has been pushing for seat belts in school buses, says he is disappointed MPs are pushing this aside despite the ample evidence they heard.

The Canadian Press