Nobina’s safety work recognized at the Nordic region’s largest public transport fair
Safety First is more than just words and visions at Nobina – it’s an integral part of daily operations in public transport, both a cultural journey and a way of working. At Persontrafik, the Nordic region’s largest public transport fair and meeting place for the industry, Nobina was awarded the Golden Belt for its efforts to increase seatbelt usage in bus transport.
Taking the bus is already the safest way to travel on our roads, and Sweden is at the forefront internationally. This work begins with technology, vehicles, service, and maintenance, extending to safe driving, risk analysis, investigations, and continuous small improvements. A safety culture and a commitment that must continue before, during, and after the journey – where safety always comes first.
The Golden Belt initiative aims to highlight and recognize this work, fostering engagement in the important issue of seatbelt use in public transport, among both our passengers and employees. Despite legislation, awareness and usage of seatbelts in public transport remain low.
The winner of the competition was Nobina in collaboration with the PTA Sörmlandstrafiken, and Nobina in collaboration with the PTA Värmlandstrafik sharing second place.
“Putting safety first and creating a culture where we never walk by or leave a risk unattended is a long-term commitment at Nobina. It’s great to see this recognized, and I am proud of this award, which highlights an important issue for the entire industry. At the same time, we must remain humble, as there is still a long way to go before seatbelt use becomes standard practice in public transport,” says Henrik Dagnäs, CEO of Nobina.
Erik Risberg, industry developer at The Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises with a focus on safety and project manager for the Golden Belt initiative, continues,
“Our foundation as an industry is a commitment to enhancing road safety. Traveling by bus is a very safe mode of transportation, and the member companies of The Swedish Bus and Coach Federationare highly engaged in traffic safety issues. By using a seatbelt when traveling by bus, a safe journey becomes even safer."
The initiative is rooted in The Swedish Bus and Coach Federation´s commitment to traffic safety work, including contributions to the Swedish Transport Administration’s Action Plan for Increased Road Safety 2022–2025, in which they support three key areas. One of these is to increase seatbelt use on buses.