People generally don’t like change. But if you have ever had to take the worst seat on a bus – lower deck, last row, middle seat – then you would have probably put on the seat belt to avoid being catapulted down the aisle should the driver slam on the brakes. And if you’re on the upper deck and the only available seats are in the front row, then again, you would buckle up, to avoid going through the window in an accident.

A responsible person would wear a seat belt when sitting anywhere in the vehicle, right? Seat belts save lives, simple.

For parents with babies in a carrier, it gets “complicated”, as Lai Siu-chung, director of the KMB branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, put it. Parents would need to remove the baby carrier, fasten the seat belt, then hold their baby firmly in their arms – and reverse that process when alighting.

But Lai’s observation that “the reality is quite messy” applies to other commuters too. Yes, the reality is complicated and can get messy. That’s why the government should have done a better job of preparing for it.

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Hong Kong to suspend bus seat belt rules over ‘deficiencies’ in law

Hong Kong to suspend bus seat belt rules over ‘deficiencies’ in law