Occupant features

Reasons for rejection

1. Steps used for entry or exit:

a) do not have a non-slip surface

b) do not provide safe entry or exit for passengers

c) extend more than 20mm beyond the adjacent body line of the vehicle when manually operated in either the extended or retracted positions.

2. Protruding steps have not been constructed to minimise any possibility of injury to a person.

3. The floor of a heavy passenger service vehicle at the entrance or exit door is more than 410mm above the surface of the level roadway

4. Where the floor of a heavy passenger service vehicle at the entrance or exit door is more than 410mm above the surface of the level roadway and a step or ramp has been fitted:

a) the distance from the ground to the tread surface of the lowest entrance level is more than 410mm when measured with the vehicle unladen:

b) a panel has not been fitted to prevent the feet of seated passengers from protruding into any nearby stairwell or ramp, or

c) a guard-rail or equivalent item has not been fitted:

i. to the rearward side of any stairwell or ramp, if passengers can stand or sit behind the stairwell or ramp, or

ii. to the forward side of the stairwell or ramp if there is a rearward- or sideways-facing seat in front of it, or if passengers can stand in front of it, or

d) retractable steps do not comply with the requirements of the version of UN/ECE Regulation No. 36 which was applicable either:

i. if they were fitted before the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, at the time when the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, or

ii. if they were fitted after the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, at the time the steps were fitted.

5. If more than one step is provided, the rise from one step to the next is more than 300mm (Note 2).

6. The step depth from front edge to inner riser is less than 200mm (Note 2).

7. The step width parallel to the doorway is less than 550mm.

8. Where more than one step is provided, any intermediate step which is cut away to allow space for the door to open is less than 180mm deep and 250mm wide.

9. A wheelchair hoist and its attachment to a passenger service vehicle cannot be shown to comply with either:

a) the design and construction requirements of the versions of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 or AS/NZS 3856.1 1998 and AS/NZS 3856.2 1998 that were applicable at the time of attachment, or

b) or be certified by an HV certifier as complying with, or being equivalent to, the technical requirements of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 or AS/NZS 3856.1 1998 and AS/NZS 3856.2 1998 that were applicable at the time of attachment, or

c) all the following requirements:

i. from the driving position, there must be an unobstructed view, either directly or indirectly, of the exterior and interior of the doorway used for entry and exit, and of the ramp and wheelchair parking position, or

ii. ramps must have a non-slip surface, and

iii. ramps must be at least 800mm wide, or at least 760mm wide with a 20mm high safety ridge along the side edges, and

iv. ramps that do not have a small safety ridge along the side edges, must have a conspicuous stripe, at least 20mm wide, along the side edges of the ramp, and

v. there must be adequate illumination of the fully extended ramp to enable safe use during the hours of darkness, and

vi. power-operated ramps must comply with all of the following requirements:

d) if the ramp cannot be seen clearly by the driver, a sensor must be fitted so that the ramp stops or retracts if it meets an obstruction before it is fully extended, and

e) a device must be fitted which gives audible warning while the ramp is extending or retracting, and

f) there must be a safety system to prevent the vehicle from moving off while the ramp is extended. If this system is incorporated in the vehicle’s brake system, it must be known to be a design appropriate to that particular chassis and be installed as is appropriate for that particular chassis or must be approved and certified by a person authorised by the NZTA to do so, and

g) the ramp must be able to be operated manually in the event of a power failure, and

h) a ramp which is fully extended from a vehicle parked on a flat level surface must not have a gradient that is steeper than 1 in 4.

10. A restraint system for a wheelchair, or for a wheelchair and occupant:

a) does not comply with the design and construction requirements of the version of Australian Standard 2942-1987 or the version of AS2942-1994/Amdt1-1998 that was applicable at the time it was fitted, or

b) has not been certified by a person approved by the NZTA to show that it complies with, or is equivalent to, the technical requirements of the version of Australian Standard 2942-1987 which was applicable at the time it was fitted, or

c) does not comply with all of the following requirements:

i. there must be a horizontal handrail adjacent to the wheelchair parking position for wheelchair occupants to steady themselves while the passenger service vehicle is moving, and

ii. the wheelchair must be prevented from tipping backwards, and

iii. a head support must be fitted if the back of the wheelchair occupant’s head would be against a window, bulkhead or partition, and

iv. a restraint system must be fitted to prevent the wheelchair from swinging out of position or tipping over, and

v. there must be a sign adjacent to the wheelchair parking position stating that the restraint system must be secured and the wheelchair’s brakes applied, and

vi. the restraint system must include easily accessible quick-release mechanisms, and

vii. an HV certifier must certify that the seatbelt anchorage or alternative wheelchair restraint system complies with the version of Australian Design Rule 5/03 which was applicable at the time it was installed, or can withstand equal loadings in the case of an alternative restraint system.

Summary of legislation

Applicable references

• Australian Standard 2942–1987
• UN/ECE Regulation No. 52
• Australian Standard 3856.1–1991
• Australian Standard 3856.2–1991
• AS/NZS 3856.1 1998
• AS/NZS 3856.2 1998.

Applicable legislation

• Land Transport Rule: Passenger Service Vehicles 1999.

Entry and exit steps and ramps (section 2.3)

1. Entry and exit steps and ramps must provide safe entry or exit for the occupants of a passenger service vehicle, and the step-tread surfaces must be of a non-slip material.

2. Permanent external steps and ramps on the side of the passenger service vehicle must not extend more than 20mm beyond the adjacent body line of the vehicle, and must be constructed so that they are not likely to injure any person.

3. Manually operated extending steps on the side of the passenger service vehicle must not extend more than 20mm beyond the adjacent body line of the vehicle, and must be constructed so that they are not likely to injure any person either when they are folded away or when they are in the extended position.

Entry and exit steps and ramps (section 2.4)

4. If the floor of a heavy passenger service vehicle at the entrance or exit door is more than 410mm above the surface of the level roadway, there must be a step or ramp which complies with the following requirements:

a) the distance from the ground to the tread surface of the lowest entrance level must be less than 410 mm when measured with the unladen vehicle:

i. on a flat horizontal surface, and

ii. if the height of the suspension can be adjusted from the driver’s seat, the vehicle is in its lowest suspension position, and

b) a panel must be fitted to prevent the feet of seated passengers from protruding into any nearby stairwell or ramp, and

c) a guard-rail or equivalent item must be fitted:

i. to the rearward side of any stairwell or ramp, if passengers can stand or sit behind the stairwell or ramp, and

ii. to the forward side of the stairwell or ramp if there is a rearward- or sideways-facing seat in front of it, or if passengers can stand in front of it, and

d) retractable steps must comply with the requirements of the version of UN/ECE Regulation No. 36 which was applicable either:

i. if they were fitted before the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, at the time when the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, or

ii. if they were fitted after the vehicle entered service as a passenger service vehicle in New Zealand, at the time the steps were fitted.

5. Entry and exit steps must meet the following dimensional requirements:

a) if more than one step is provided, the rise from one step to the next must be less than 300mm, and

b) the step depth from front edge to inner riser must be at least 200mm, and

c) the step width parallel to the doorway must be at least 550mm.

6. If more than one step is provided, any intermediate step which is cut away to allow space for the door to open must be at least 180mm deep and at least 250mm wide.

Wheelchair hoists and ramps (section 8.2)

7. A wheelchair hoist and its attachment to a passenger service vehicle must either:

a) comply with the design and construction requirements of the versions of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 or AS/NZS 3856.1 1998 and AS/NZS 3856.2 1998 that were applicable at the time of attachment, or

b) be certified in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 as complying with, or being equivalent to, the technical requirements of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 or AS/NZS 3856.1 1998 and AS/NZS 3856.2 1998 that were applicable at the time of attachment.

8. A wheelchair ramp and its fitting to a passenger service vehicle must:

a) comply with the design and construction requirements of the versions of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 that were applicable at the time of attachment, or

b) be certified  in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 as complying with, or being equivalent to, the technical requirements of Australian Standard 3856.1-1991 and Australian Standard 3856.2-1991 thatwere applicable at the time of attachment, or

c) comply with all the following requirements:

i. from the driving position, there must be an unobstructed view, either directly or indirectly, of the exterior and interior of the doorway used for entry and exit, and of the ramp and wheelchair parking position, and

ii. ramps must have a non-slip surface, and

iii. ramps must be at least 800mm wide, or at least 760mm wide with a 20mm high safety ridge along the side edges, and

iv. ramps that do not have a small safety ridge along the side edges, must have a conspicuous stripe, at least 20mm wide, along the side edges of the ramp, and

v. there must be adequate illumination of the fully extended ramp to enable safe use during the hours of darkness, and

vi. power-operated ramps must comply with all of the following requirements:

d) if the ramp cannot be seen clearly by the driver, a sensor must be fitted so that the ramp stops or retracts if it meets an obstruction before it is fully extended, and

e) a device must be fitted which gives audible warning while the ramp is extending or retracting, and

f) there must be a safety system to prevent the vehicle from moving off while the ramp is extended. If this system is incorporated in the vehicle’s brake system, it must be known to be a design appropriate to that particular chassis and be installed as is appropriate for that particular chassis or must be approved and certified by a person authorised by the NZTA to do so, and

g) the ramp must be able to be operated manually in the event of a power failure, and

h) a ramp which is fully extended from a vehicle parked on a flat level surface must not have a gradient that is steeper than 1 in 4.

Wheelchair and wheelchair-occupant restraints (section 8.4)

9. A restraint system for a wheelchair, or for a wheelchair and occupant, must:

a) comply with the design and construction requirements of the version of Australian Standard 2942-1987 version of AS2942-1994/Amdt1-1998 that was applicable at the time it was fitted, or

b) be certified in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 to show that it complies with, or is equivalent to, the technical requirements of the version of Australian Standard 2942-1987 that was applicable at the time it was fitted, or

c) comply with all of the following requirements:

i. there must be a horizontal handrail adjacent to the wheelchair parking position for wheelchair occupants to steady themselves while the passenger service vehicle is moving, and

ii. the wheelchair must be prevented from tipping backwards, and

iii. a head support must be fitted if the back of the wheelchair occupant’s head would be against a window, bulkhead or partition, and

iv. a restraint system must be fitted to prevent the wheelchair from swinging out of position or tipping over, and

v. there must be a sign adjacent to the wheelchair parking position stating that the restraint system must be secured and the wheelchair’s brakes applied, and

vi. the restraint system must include easily accessible quick-release mechanisms, and

vii. a person authorised by the NZTA must certify that the seatbelt anchorage or alternative wheelchair restraint system complies with the version of Australian Design Rule 5/03 which was applicable at the time it was installed, or can withstand equal loadings in the case of an alternative restraint system.