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Technical bulletins

45 Recording the number of seats in a vehicle with wheelchair positions

Background

Some vehicles have dedicated wheelchair positions and multi-use positions where an occupant can sit if a wheelchair isn’t present. This technical bulletin provides clarity over how to record the number of seats.

Determining a vehicle’s class

Because wheelchair positions are included in the total seat count, they have an impact when determining a vehicle’s class.

Note: Vehicles of class MA, MB and MC do not have an upper GVM limit so a 9-seat van with a GVM of 4,000kg could be class MB.

Dedicated wheelchair positions

A dedicated wheelchair position is a seating position for transporting a wheelchair and its occupant that is unavailable for other passengers when it is not occupied by a wheelchair.

All dedicated wheelchair positions are included in the total seat count.

Figure 45-1-1. 10 seat omnibus

  • This vehicle has 1 dedicated wheelchair position.
  • The total number of seats should be recorded as 10.
  • It’s classed as an omnibus.
Figure 45-1-2. 10 seat omnibus

  • This vehicle has 2 dedicated wheelchair positions.
  • The total number of seats should be recorded as 10.
  • It’s classed as an omnibus.
Multi-use wheelchair positions

A seating position that can be used for either a wheelchair or seat, but not both simultaneously, is only to be counted as one seat.

If a wheelchair position takes up more than one multi-use seating position, the number of seating positions is the highest possible count of seated passengers.

Figure 45-1-3. 11 seat omnibus

  • This vehicle has a multi-use wheelchair position.
  • There could be 9 occupants in seats and 1 occupant in the wheelchair.
  • If the wheelchair position isn’t used, there could be 11 occupants.
  • The number of seats should be recorded as 11.
  • It’s classed as an omnibus.
Figure 45-1-4. 9 seat class MB vehicle

  • This vehicle has a multi-use wheelchair position.
  • There could be 8 occupants in seats and 1 occupant in the wheelchair.
  • If the wheelchair position isn’t used, there could be 9 occupants.
  • The number of seats should be recorded as 9.
  • Its class is MB.

Page added 1 June 2019 (see amendment details)

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