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New Seatbelt regulations


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FAQ About Buses


Here you will find the answers to a number of Frequently Asked Questions about Buses. Click on the relative question to obtain the answer.
  1. What is the current legislation regarding seat belts on school buses?
  2. What is the‘3 for 2’ concession?
  3. What progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the Environment Committee’s Inquiry into Home to School Transport held in 2000/2001?
  4. What is the maximum number of passengers that can stand on a bus travelling in Northern Ireland?
Answer 1 Under the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (NI) 1999 (as amended) seat belts are required to be fitted;
  • to all new coaches, minibuses and other non-urban buses [Reg. 55, as amended by SR 2002/256]; and
  • on minibuses or coaches being used for organised school trips (where the journey is being made for the purpose of the trip) [Reg. 57]
Answer 2 Buses not fitted with seat belts are permitted to carry additional seated passengers if they are under 14 years of age. This requirement is known as the ‘3 for 2’ seating concession. If a vehicle is permitted to carry 53 seated and 22 standing passengers, it may be permitted to carry an additional 26 passengers, if all the passengers meet the required criteria.
Answer 3 The Environment Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly made 28 recommendations in its Inquiry into home to school bus transport and considerable progress has already been made on many of these.  In its initial response to the Committee D O E agreed to carry out an impact assessment of the costs and benefits associated with implementing the Inquiry’s four key recommendations. These are: abolishing ‘3 for 2’; introducing ‘no standing’; fitting seat belts; and improving signage and lighting.
This work is currently being carried out in partnership with the Department for Regional Development and the Department of Education. It is expected that the findings of this work, together with a report detailing Government progress in implementing all 28 recommendations will be published shortly.
Answer 4 The maximum number of passengers who may legally stand on a public service vehicle (including a bus) is governed by the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 [SR 1995 No. 447]. In particular these Regulations provide that:
  1. In the case of a single decked public service vehicle the maximum number of standing passengers is limited to one third of the number of passengers for which the vehicle has seating capacity, or 8 passengers, whichever is the lesser amount.
  2. In the case of a double decked vehicle the maximum number of standing passengers is limited to one third of the number of passengers for which the lower deck has seating capacity, or 8 passengers, whichever is the lesser amount.
  3. As an alternative to (1) and (2) (above) the number of standing passengers may be determined by a vehicle examiner.
  4. The licensee of the vehicle is also empowered to determine the maximum number of standing passengers provided the number he determines is lesser than that stipulated in (1) and (2) (above).
  5. However in all cases the maximum number of standing passengers permitted must be marked on the nearside of the vehicle.
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