Expanding Hong Kong’s safety seat law to public transport ‘may pose obstacles’
Online users also ask whether Uber drivers might choose not to carry children rather than buy infant car seats
But lawmakers on Tuesday said the government could consider including the safety measure as a condition for the premium taxi fleet licences, while some parents expressed concerns their children would be unable to ride in private cars operated by ride-hailing platforms such as Uber.
Eddy Wu Kin-kwok, a chief engineer at the Transport Department, said the new law targeted private cars as past data showed about half of injuries related to traffic accidents among children under eight years old involved such vehicles.
“The percentage involving other vehicles such as public transport tools is relatively low,” Wu told a radio programme. “Children of different ages need different types of restraints. For example, older children may use a booster seat and infants may require a baby car seat.
“If public transport operators have to prepare suitable equipment for children of different age groups in varying quantities, it may pose some obstacles to their daily operations.”
From November 1, any private car driver who failed to provide the safety equipment can be fined HK$230 (US$29.60), with serious cases to be referred to the courts, where a penalty of up to HK$2,000 could be imposed, the government announced on Monday.