A new regulation mandating the use of seat belts on public and private buses will be suspended and later revised, after it sparked widespread controversy following its enactment on Sunday.

Speaking to the media on Friday afternoon, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan admitted there are “technical deficiencies” in some of the articles of the seat belt law, which failed to fully reflect the legislative intent.

Chan said some clauses will be deleted and reintroduced after consultation with the Legislative Council. At present, there is no legal requirement for passengers to wear seat belts on either franchised or non-franchised buses.

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She said that the government has received extensive feedback from the public, media, and legislators over the past few days, adding that the fundamental purpose of the law is to provide safeguards for passengers, and the government will prioritize education and publicity at this stage.

“The primary task now is to explore ways to enhance the implementation of the relevant regulation, gather broad public feedback, and refine the arrangements before consulting the Legislative Council,” Chan said.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com