The Land Transport Authority has also rolled out education materials - such as a video - in schools to teach children how to buckle up safely.

Out of the buses that have been retrofitted, 189 are used to ferry schoolchildren.

Last October, the Government announced that all small buses used to ferry children must have three-point seatbelts and front-facing seats by the end of 2011.

There are currently 6,400 small buses in Singapore, of which 1,200 are used by schools. They are being fitted with seatbelts in phases.

The first phase, involving 10 primary schools, one kindergarten and one childcare centre, is now complete.

Xinmin Primary School, one of the schools, now uses eight 11-seater buses to ferry about 80 of its pupils, up from seven previously.

In the past, school bus operators could seat three children on two seats. With the seatbelts installed, they are no longer able to do this. As a result, Xinmin's school bus operators had to provide an extra bus for the overflow of pupils.

Fares also went up by $5 to $10 per child per month for most pupils.

The issue of higher fares was a sore point in the public debate over the installation of school bus seatbelts in the months leading up to the ruling last year.

Operators whose bus capacity will be cut said they have no choice but to increase fares to offset the loss in income.

Xinmin principal Cheah Poh Lian said the fare hikes were kept to a minimum in the light of the recession, adding that the fares had not been raised for a few years.

Besides watching the video in school, Xinmin's pupils are also reminded to always use seatbelts through the use of posters and stickers.