Campaigners behind a decades-long battle to make seatbelts compulsory on school buses are celebrating a major breakthrough in time for the new school year.

The new Seat Belts on School Transport (Scotland) Act has come into force today, meaning that dedicated school transport such as school buses must be fitted with seatbelts. 

Eileen Prior, executive director of Connect (formerly the Scottish Parent Teacher Council), said: “This new legislation is a step in the right direction, but there are still gaps in the system which means that seatbelts will not always be available for youngsters on school journeys - for example, on public bus services.

“Local authorities, schools and contracted transport providers have a duty of care to ensure that children are safe, and parents are legally responsible for their child until they enter school. Some local authorities have codes of conduct for children using school transport, requiring them to use seatbelts.”

She added: “We have been campaigning for seatbelts on school transport since the 1990s when there was a tragic accident involving a school bus. We want parents and teachers to be aware of this new legislation and to use this opportunity to urge children and young people to use the seat belts on school transport. It is only by working together that we can really make an impact on this issue.”

However, Busk, an organisation which works to promote safe road transport for children, said that Scotland was not leading the way in the UK. Founder Pat Harris said that seatbelts became compulsory in dedicated school transport in Wales in 2014.

Local councillors in some parts of Scotland have previously warned that because schools often - or in some cases always - use buses that are in public service most of the day, the new legislation is unlikely to make much difference in their area.