Entrance and exit

6-2 PSV doors and doorways

Reasons for rejection

Mandatory equipment
General

1. Refer to section 6-1.

2. A heavy PSV does not have all doorways for normal passenger entry and exit on the left-hand side of the vehicle, unless it is an outdoor access vehicle with a doorway provided for passenger entry and exit in the rear.

3. A heavy PSV has a doorway on the right-hand side of the vehicle unless it is a vehicle a vehicle fitted with equipment for people with special mobility requirements.

4. An outdoor-access vehicle does not have at least one doorway for passenger entry or exit either on the left-hand side or in the rear of the vehicle.

5. On a motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV on or after 1 July 2000, a door, except for a left-front door alongside and within direct line of sight of the driver, does not have a device that warns the driver if the door is not closed properly when the vehicle is stationary or driven away.

Power-operated doors (Note 4)

6. A motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV before 1 July 2000 that has a door which is controlled from the driver’s seat does not have either:

a) a sign by the door, in letters at least 10 mm high, which states: In an emergency use door control by the driver’s seat, or

b) emergency controls which:

i. are fitted on or next to the door, both inside and outside the vehicle, or

ii. have easy-to-understand operating instructions fitted next to them, both inside and outside the vehicle.

7. A motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV on or after 1 July 2000 that has a door which is controlled from the driver’s seat does not have emergency controls which:

a) can be operated in an emergency when the PSV is stationary, or

b) are fitted on or next to the door, both inside and outside the vehicle, or

c) have easy-to-understand operating instructions fitted next to them, both inside and outside the vehicle.

Condition and performance
General

8. Refer to section 6-1.

9. A door locks automatically when it is closed.

10. A small passenger service vehicle (Note 2) has a speed-sensitive or other automatic central locking device that causes any door to be locked while the vehicle is stationary.

11. A passenger service vehicle, other than a small passenger service vehicle (Note 2), has a safety device installed during the manufacture of the vehicle to prevent the doors from being opened from inside the vehicle, eg a child safety lock (Note 1), and the safety device has not been removed or permanently deactivated, and

a) a valid exemption cannot be produced, or

b) an approved sign (Figure 6-2-1) is not displayed adjacent to the exterior handle of each rear side door, or

c) the approved sign is not clearly legible.

12. A small passenger service vehicle (Note 2) has a safety device installed during the manufacture of the vehicle to prevent the doors from being opened from inside the vehicle, eg a child safety lock (Note 1), and the safety device has not been removed or permanently deactivated, and

a) an approved sign (Figure 6-2-1) is not displayed adjacent to the exterior handle of each rear side door, or

b) the approved sign is not clearly legible.

13. A door that is not controlled by the driver cannot be opened from outside the vehicle.

14. A doorway provided for passenger entry or exit is obstructed.

15. A device to warn the driver that the door is not closed properly:

a) does not function correctly, or

b) is not effective.

16. A door or doorway is in such a condition that it is likely to injure passengers entering or leaving the vehicle.

17. An emergency door control sign or operating instruction is not clearly legible.

18. An emergency door control:

a) cannot be operated when the PSV is stationary, or

b) has a component that has significantly deteriorated so that its operation in an emergency is likely to be compromised.

19. A handrail or handhold for assisting people who are entering or leaving the vehicle is:

a) missing, or

b) insecure, or

c) significantly deteriorated so that it is likely to injure passengers.

Power-operated doors

20. A power-operated door is such that it is likely to injure or trap a person eg by excessive opening or closing force, or damage or deterioration (Note 3).

Modification

21. A door or doorway was modified since the last CoF inspection and there is no written confirmation that items affected by the modification comply with the requirements for entry certification.

Note 1

Child safety lock (also known as a kiddi-lock) means a safety device installed during the manufacture of the vehicle to prevent a door from being opened from the inside of the vehicle.

Note 2

Small passenger service vehicle means a vehicle used for use in a passenger service for the carriage of passengers that is designed or adapted to carry 12 or fewer persons (including the driver).

Note 3

A power-operated door may be deemed acceptable in terms of potential injury or entrapment of a person due to excessive closing force if:

a) the door is located at the left-front of the vehicle within the driver’s clear view from their seat (without using mirrors or CCTV), and is opened and closed by means of a driver-operated control, or

b) the door automatically opens when it meets an obstruction, and remains open until being closed using the driver-operated control, or

c) in the event that the door closes onto part of a person, the person can readily extract the trapped part. For compressed air- or vacuum-operated doors only see Technical Bulletin 5: Door test procedure: Compressed air- or vacuum-operated doors).

Note 4

If a passenger service vehicle has more than one door, the emergency controls for a door, other than the door nearest to the driver, are not required to be operational when:

a) the passenger service vehicle is stationary, and

b) the driver is the only person inside the vehicle, and

c) the emergency controls for the door nearest to the driver can be operated.

Figure 6-2-1. Approved child safety lock sign (white text on red background)

child safety lock

Summary of legislation

Applicable legislation
Mandatory equipment
General

1. Refer to section 6-1.

2. Heavy PSV and doorways for passenger entry or exit must be on the left-hand side of the vehicle, unless:

a) the vehicle is an outdoor-access vehicle, and a doorway for passenger entry or exit is provided in the rear, or

b) the vehicle is fitted with equipment for people with special mobility requirements.

3. On a motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV on or after 1 July 2000, a door, except a left-front door alongside and within direct line of sight of the driver, must have a device that warns the driver if the door is not closed properly.

4. A heavy PSV must be fitted with handrails or handholds which are suitable to assist people who are entering or leaving the vehicle.

Power-operated doors

5. A motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV before 1 July 2000 that has a door which is controlled from the driver’s seat must have:

a) a sign by the door, in letters at least 10 mm high, which states: In an emergency use door control by the driver’s seat, or

b) emergency controls which:

i. can be operated in an emergency when the PSV is stationary, and

ii. are fitted on or next to the door, both inside and outside the vehicle, and

iii. have easy-to-understand operating instructions fitted next to them, both inside and outside the vehicle.

6. A motor vehicle that entered service as a PSV on or after 1 July 2000 that has a door which is controlled from the driver’s seat must have emergency controls which:

a) can be operated in an emergency when the PSV is stationary, and

b) are fitted on or next to the door, both inside and outside the vehicle, and

c) have easy-to-understand operating instructions fitted next to them, both inside and outside the vehicle.

Performance
General

7. A door and its operation must meet the requirements of section 6-1, except:

a) safety devices installed during the manufacture of the vehicle to prevent the doors from being opened from the inside of the vehicle (eg a child safety lock (Note 1)) must be removed or permanently deactivated (unless the vehicle is a small passenger service vehicle (Note 2) and a sign approved by the NZTA is displayed at the outer door handle), and

b) doors that are not controlled by the driver must be able to be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle when someone is in the vehicle except when the occupant has locked the doors, and

c) a door must be operable by any occupant next to the door, from inside the vehicle.

8. A doorway provided for passenger entry or exit must be clear of obstruction.

9. A door must not lock automatically when it is closed.

10. Speed-sensitive or other automatically operating central-locking devices fitted to a small passenger service vehicle (Note 2) must not automatically cause any door to be locked while the vehicle is stationary.

Power-operated doors

11. A power-operated door must be maintained so that the opening and closing force of the door, or its method of operation, is unlikely to injure or trap any person (Note 3).

Modification

12. If a PSV doorway has been modified since it was last certified for operation in-service and the modification has affected the door’s operation or the doorway dimensions, items affected by the modification must comply with the requirements for entry certification.

Page amended 1 May 2021 (see amendment details)

Page updated 6 October 2022 (see details)

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