SriLanka, Sept. 9 -- Leader of the House and Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake confirmed in Parliament yesterday that vehicles without proper seat belts will be barred from entering expressways beginning from September 19.

All occupants including drivers and rear-seat passengers must wear seat belts. This will applies to all expressway users, including private cars, school vans and the government has ended all grace periods, and non-compliant vehicles face strict police penalties.

There is a regulatory proposal aimed at improving public transport safety. Requiring passenger transport vehicles (buses, vans, etc.) to obtain a roadworthiness certificate every three months or 5,000 kilometers is an effectiv...