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New regs coming

25th May 1985, Page 21
25th May 1985
Page 21
Page 21, 25th May 1985 — New regs coming
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MAJOR CHANGES in UK regulations governing the construction and maintenance of minibuses, buses and coaches are imminent, according to a recently retired senior engineer from the Department of Transport.

Speaking at last week's Institute of Road Transport Engineers' conference, John Furness, ex-DTp chief mechanical engineer, outlined the changes that are in prospect.

As expected, the maximum gross vehicle weight for two axle psv is to be uplifted from 16.25 tonnes to 17 tonnes.

Mr Furness said: "Allowance for baggage and all but four standee passengers will be included."

Current legislation provides Cor four types of minibus (a vehicle having nine to 16 passenger seats).

Depending on which type it is, the vehicle may be operated as a full psv; under a permit; as a community bus; or as a private vehicle.

The DTp's intention is to simplify the requirements by defining all minibuses as one type and issuing a set of "relatively simple rules to apply to them no matter for what purpose they arc used".

The 1)Tp is considering several safety regulation changes.

Mr Furness said that these include "the specification of structural standards for coach bodies to maintain a residual space and lessen casualties in roll-over accidents and performance standards for coach seats and their anchorages". Results of research currently being carried out on the stability of psv is likely to be available by the end of this year.

The D-Tp has not ruled out requiring safety belts to be fitted to front passenger seats. Other items under consideration are step heights, hand rails and stanchions.

Following its general policy of aiming to simplify psv regulations, the rffp intends to thoroughly revise Conditions of Fitness regulations, Mr Furness said that this was planned "in the light of developments in bus and coach design and to incorporate Code of Practice requirements for one-man-operated and standee buses."

He estimated that this review would be undertaken before the end of 1986.


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