Seatbelts on buses
Use of seatbelts is mandatory in buses where seatbelts are available. If you are in a crash without a seatbelt, your body becomes heavier than you think. If you do not use a seatbelt when it is available, you may be fined NOK 1500.
FAQ about seatbelts in buses
Why are seat belts not available in all buses?
There are three different classes of bus in Norway and the EU. According to national vehicle regulations, seat belts are required for Class 2 and Class 3 buses. Skyss uses a combination of Class 1 and Class 2 buses in its operations in Vestland. In new bus contracts, Skyss requires that operators install seat belts in all new buses, including in Class 1 buses. All buses in Vestland is equipped with seat belts, with some exceptions, where older buses are still used in new contracts. This applies to some city buses in Odda and Stord. These are Class 1 buses where retrofitting seat belts is not possible.
Why do seated passengers need to use seat belts, when standing passengers are not secured?
The Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads is responsible for vehicle regulations, and questions about regulations must be addressed to them.
Class 2 buses have both standing room and mandatory seat belt use for seated passengers. According to the Directorate of Public Roads, this is a compromise between considerations of traffic safety and public transport efficiency. We can all see the paradox in having seated passengers secured with seat belts, while standing passengers are not secured at all. However, the alternatives are either to require no safety measures for anyone, which is clearly not safer, or to ban standing. If public transport requires that passengers be seated and wearing a seat belt, urban public transport would be much mor expensive and much less efficient, as embarking and disembarking would take much longer than it does today. Efficient public transport means people are more likely to use it, which reduces the number of cars on the road. This, in itself, means better traffic safety for everyone.
Why do buses without seat belts and with standing room drive on motorways?
All buses are permitted on all roads. We use different types of buses in different areas, but these are categorizations Skyss has defined. City buses (Class 1) have a speed cap at 70 km/h.
Class 1 and Class 2 buses represent a compromise between traffic safety and considerations of efficient public transport. Public transport using only buses equivalent to long-distance buses would not be practically feasible.
What do I do if the seat belt is broken?
Bus operators are responsible for keeping the seat belts in good working order. If you discover that a seat belt is not working, please let the bus driver know. Alternatively, you can contact Skyss and specify the bus line, date and time and the stops on your journey.
Why do some buses have three-point seat belts and others have two-point seat belts?
In our contracts with operators, Skyss has defined seat belt requirements in accordance with the Bus Nordic standard. This means that our contracts specify that operators are required to provide seat belts on the buses, but the operator is free to decide whether to use three-point or two-point seat belts.
What do I do if the seat belt is too short for me?
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is responsible for inspections, and they have been instructed to not fine passengers who are unable to use the seat belt.
Skyss buses comply with national vehicle regulations, which do not define a minimum seat belt length. Skyss is affiliated with a Nordic bus standard (Bus Nordic), which limits the scope of action for imposing special requirements. Seat belts are extra long in all new Skyss buses in Nordhordland, Bergen South (Fana, Ytrebygd and Os) and West (Askøy, Sotra and Øygarden), because these contract requirements were established before the introduction of the Bus Nordic standard.
Unfortunately, there are no seat belt extension solutions that are easily available for use in buses.
Why are there no seat belts on board the Bergen Light Rail?
Trams, trains and light rails do not have seat belts anywhere in the world. If you have any further questions on this topic, please contact the Norwegian Railway Authority, who is responsible for regulations that apply to the Bergen Light Rail.