NEWLY introduced seat-belt legislation could have gone even further to protect children, says a leading Gwent safety campaigner.

Transport Minister David Jamieson has announced that new buses, coaches and minibuses will have to be fitted with seat belts.

It applies to all vehicles except those designed to carry standing passengers. The changes also affect groups of children taken on organised trips, who now may also be offered rear-facing seats with belts in new minibuses and coaches.

Children must continue to be provided with forward-facing seats with seat belts in older vehicles.

Mr Jamieson said the changes were pledged by the government last year. "These new regulations will save lives. In our ten- year plan we are committed to reducing the number of children killed and seriously injured on our roads and in road traffic and related accidents. This is an important step in the process."

But Pat Harris, (pictured) of BUSK (Belt Up School Kids), said under the new rules passengers in exposed seats, such as at the front, have to be protected by lap and diagonal belts, but other seats only require lap belts.

"Why not have diagonal and lap belts through the whole vehicle?" asked Mrs Harris, of Newport. "It is a huge opportunity wasted."

BUSK has recently been consulted by the EC about making the wearing of seat belts compulsory in coaches.

While it is unlikely that this will be ratified by all the member countries, Britain could act independently under the terms of the Treaty of Rome, said Mrs Harris. "We will probably have to lobby the government."