A woman walks past a minibus in Sheung Shui in Hong Kong in January, 2023. A government warning issued said that all bus passengers must belt up or face a fine.ISAAC LAWRENCE/Getty Images
How many people does it take to undo a seatbelt? In Hong Kong, 20.
For decades, Hong Kongers have been used to being rattled around on the city’s minibuses and double-deckers, clinging to seats and handles as the vehicles navigate often narrow and winding roads at high speed.
Safety was less a concern for most riders than punctuality, and even when seatbelts were available, few used them. That changed on Jan. 25, with the government warning that all bus passengers must belt up or face a fine, equivalent to $865.
The policy has been greeted by a storm of controversy, as commuters complained that the mandate inconveniences those hopping on and off buses for short trips, others expressed concerns about cleanliness, and even some lawmakers called for a review. But few expected a seatbelt could cause a full-blown emergency incident, involving three fire engines, an ambulance and almost two-dozen first responders.
That’s what happened around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, when 16 firefighters and four paramedics were called to a Route 795X bus on Cheung Sha Wan Road, in northwestern Kowloon, to assist a passenger who had been trapped for more than 45 minutes after he couldn’t undo his seatbelt.
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Photos from the scene showed yellow-helmeted firefighters grappling with the clasp, which they eventually wiggled open enough to allow the man to escape. It was later discovered that a piece of aluminum foil had been jammed inside, stopping it from working properly, operator Citybus said in a statement.
The bus company said the man had alerted those around him after he couldn’t get out of his seat to alight, and “the driver immediately followed established procedures” and parked at the nearest bus stop.
“Citybus is taking the incident very seriously,” the statement added. “The investigation is currently focused on the possibility of deliberate damage to the seatbelt, and the company will report the incident to the police.”
Speaking to local broadcaster TVB, the trapped passenger, identified only by his surname Chan, said he was considering whether to seek compensation from the bus company.
“Because the air conditioning wasn’t on when the bus stopped, and the seatbelt was very tight, I felt dizzy and unwell, and had to go to the hospital for treatment,” Mr. Chan said, adding that he questioned whether the government had “considered the inconvenience” caused by the new mandate.
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Thursday’s crisis was not the first seatbelt incident to make the news since the law came into force. Earlier this week, a man surnamed Li was arrested for beating a wheelchair user about the head with his mobile phone, after they objected to using a belt, reportedly delaying Mr. Li’s commute.
Doreen Kong, a former lawmaker who sat on the committee that approved the new requirements, told local media that they only applied to vehicles registered on or after Jan. 25, meaning that in both cases, those involved may not have even been required to wear a seatbelt.
By Friday afternoon, the controversy had become sufficiently embarrassing for the government that transport secretary Mable Chan announced that the new seatbelt requirements were being suspended, to be reintroduced at a later date after “proper consultation.”