Any minibuses without seatbelts currently transporting children to school will be given six months to install them, Times of Malta is informed.

A recent survey which was carried out by the Transport Authority found that out of a total fleet of 1,114 minibuses and coaches, there were “fewer than 20 such vehicles” which were not yet equipped with seatbelts.

Times of Malta reported in August that a number of mini-buses were used to transport children to and from schools even though they did not have seatbelts, which alarmed some parents of young students. Children were often thrown off their seats when the driver had to brake abruptly, they had said.

At the time, Transport Malta had announced it would be looking at legal ways to ensure that all school minibuses would have seat belts.

According to the Transport Ministry, amendments to the regulations – obliging all passenger transport vehicles used for to carry school children to be fully-equipped with seat belts – have been approved in Parliament.

“These are now awaiting publication in the Government Gazette. Once these are published, affected operators will be allowed a maximum period of six months to order and install seat belts on their vehicles in accordance with a technical procedure approved by Transport Malta,” the spokeswoman told the Times of Malta.

“The vast majority of registered mini-buses and coaches built before seat belts became a requirement were along the years retrofitted with seat belts,” the spokeswoman added.

According to the law, all vehicles must have seat belts. However, minibuses that were manufactured before 1998 and coaches built before October 2001 are currently exempt, which means they can still carry schoolchildren.

Transport industry sources had told this newspaper when the controversy was raging that installing seat belts in minibuses would cost about €400 per vehicle, including the issue of a certificate by a qualified engineer.