Sri Lanka mandates seat belts for all expressway passengers

Expressway in Sri Lanka

(Photo by Dithira Hettiarachchi on Unsplash)

Wearing seat belts will be mandatory for all passengers in light vehicles on expressways in Sri Lanka, including those in the back seats, starting August 1, 2025.

Beginning September 1, 2025, the same rule will apply to all passengers traveling on expressway buses.

The announcement was made today (July 1) by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, during an inspection visit to the Central Bus Stand in Colombo.

The Minister stated that many lives are lost each year due to road accidents and that this decision was taken to help prevent such tragedies.

Meanwhile, the National Transport Commission stated that, starting today (July 1), it is mandatory for bus drivers to wear seat belts.