WEIGHT CHANGES ON BUS AND COACH • The Department of
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Transport is changing the rules for calculating the weights of buses and coaches next year. The changes will affect vehicles first put into service on, or after, 1 April 1988. For these vehicles, the 'calculator' for the weight of a passenger, or crew member for whom there is a seat, will increase by 1.5kg from 63.5kg to 65kg.
For the first time, luggage will also be taken into account in one of two ways: either 10kg will be reckoned per passenger and crew seat, or 100kg will be reckoned for each cubic metre of luggage volume accessable from outside the vehicle. Whichever is the less will be used in calculation.
For vehicles which carry standing passengers, it is currently the case that the first eight passengers are not counted. From 1 April, however, this will be reduced to four.
According to the Bus and Coach Council, the changes will have serious repercussions in terms of total weight that is, the calculated weights which have to be added to the vehicle's kerb weight to establish the gross weight.
Following the recent changes to PSV axle and gross weights, which also come into affect on 1 April next year, the BCC says that on some chassis and vehicles the revised plated weights mean that certain auxilliary equipment on the chassis has had to be moved, in order to accommodate the different weight distribution.
It recommends the PSV operators bear in mind the changes when purchasing vehicles for the 1988 season.