Vehicle interior
7-2 PSV seating
Reasons for rejection
Mandatory requirement
1. On a vehicle fitted with a wheelchair or wheelchair and occupant restraint that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, or on a PSV fitted with a wheelchair-occupant restraint on or after 1 July 2000, a wheelchair or wheelchair and occupant restraint has not been certified by an HVS certifier.
Mandatory and permitted equipment
2. The driver’s seat is not adjustable.
3. Refer to section 7-1, general vehicle pages.
4. There is a seat on the right-hand side of the driver’s seat.
5. A forward-facing passenger seat (Note 2), other than one fitted with a seatbelt or facing a longitudinal aisle, does not have another seat, partition, guardrail or equivalent fitting installed in front of it within 1m of the front edge of the seat to prevent a passenger sitting on the seat from being thrown forward.
6. A vehicle (Note 4), except any outdoor-access vehicle (Note 3), that entered service as a PSV in New Zealand:
a) before 1 July 2000 does not have armrests fitted to the open ends of sideways-facing seats, or
b) on or after 1 July 2000 does not have armrests fitted to sideways-facing seats at intervals of 1.8m or less as well as to the open ends of sideways-facing seats.
7. A folding crew seat (Note 1):
a) is fitted other than in the stairwell of the front doorway, or
b) does not fold away automatically when unoccupied, or
c) does not have clear signs stating that the seats:
i. are for use by crew members only, or
ii. must be secured in the fold-away position when they are not being used.
8. A folding or tilting passenger seat (Note 2):
a) is fitted to the stairwell forward of the front axle, or
b) is fitted to the stairwell behind the front axles and does not have operating instructions.
Wheelchair and wheelchair-occupant restraints
9. A passenger service vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, and is designed to carry a forward-facing wheelchair and occupant, is not fitted with a restraint system for a wheelchair.
10. A heavy passenger service vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, and is designed to carry a rearward-facing wheelchair and occupant, is not fitted with a backrest head support.
11. A restraint system for a wheelchair, or for a wheelchair and occupant, on a vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, or that was fitted with such equipment on or after 1 July 2000 does not include:
a) a horizontal handrail adjacent to the wheelchair parking position for wheelchair occupants to steady themselves while the passenger service vehicle is moving, or
b) a means of preventing the wheelchair from tipping backwards, or
c) a head support if the back of the wheelchair occupant’s head would be against a window, bulkhead or partition, or
d) a means of preventing the wheelchair from swinging out of position or tipping over, or
e) a sign adjacent to the wheelchair parking position stating that the restraint system must be secured and the wheelchair’s brakes applied, or
f) easily accessible quick-release mechanisms.
Condition and performance
12. Refer to section 7-1, general vehicle pages.
13. A wheelchair or wheelchair-occupant restraint does not meet the condition and performance requirements of section 7-5, general vehicle pages.
Folding or tilting passenger seats fitted in stairwells
14. A folding or tilting passenger seat is fitted to the stairwell behind the front axle and:
a) the front doorway is obstructed, or
b) operating instructions for the seat are not clearly displayed, or
c) the seat does not lock automatically, both when in use and in the fold-away or tilted position, or
d) the risk of injury to the seat operator has not been minimised, or
e) the seat could injure persons using the stairwell where the seat is located.
Position of driver’s seat and controls
15. The driver does not have safe and reasonably easy access to the driver’s seat.
16. The driving controls are not protected, or located in such a way as to minimise the risk that they will be operated accidentally.
Modification
17. A seat or seating arrangement, including a wheelchair or wheelchair occupant restraint system, has been 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
Crew, in relation to a PSV, means the person or group of persons in control or having responsibility for the operation of the vehicle or the wellbeing of the passengers.
Note 2
Passenger means a person travelling in a vehicle but does not include the crew.
Note 3
Outdoor-access vehicle means a motor vehicle that is used to provide access to remote areas solely in connection with outdoor activities.
Note 4
Sideways-facing passenger seats may be fitted in a heavy motor vehicle without armrests if:
a) the seats fold down for use and fold away when not in use to enable the carriage of wheelchairs or pushchairs, and
b) a row of sideways-facing seating positions is no more than 1.8m wide.
Summary of legislation
Applicable legislation
Mandatory requirement
1. On a vehicle fitted with a wheelchair or wheelchair and occupant restraint that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, or on a PSV fitted with a wheelchair-occupant restraint on or after 1 July 2000, a wheelchair-occupant restraint must be certified by an HVS certifier.
Mandatory and permitted equipment
2. A driver’s seat must be adjustable to ensure the driver has access to the driving controls.
3. Refer to section 7-1, general vehicle pages.
4. There must not be a seat on the right-hand side of the driver’s seat.
5. Every forward-facing passenger seat (Note 2) must have either another seat, a partition or a guard rail positioned no more than 1m in front of the front edge of the seat unless the seat is:
a) fitted with a seatbelt, or
b) fitted in a heavy passenger service vehicle and is facing a longitudinal aisle.
6. A vehicle (Note 4), except any outdoor-access vehicle (Note 3), that entered service as a PSV in New Zealand:
a) before 1 July 2000 must have armrests fitted to the open ends of sideways-facing seats, or
b) on or after 1 July 2000 must have armrests fitted to sideways-facing seats at intervals of 1.8m or less as well as to the open ends of sideways-facing seats.
7. Folding crew seats:
a) may be fitted only in the stairwell of the front doorway of a PSV and
b) must fold away automatically when unoccupied, and
c) must have clear signs stating that the seats:
i. are for use by crew members only, and
ii. must be secured in the fold-away position when they are not being used.
8. A heavy PSV may be fitted with folding or tilting passenger seats, with operating instructions, to the stairwell behind the front axle.
Wheelchair and wheelchair-occupant restraints
9. A restraint system for a wheelchair, or for a wheelchair and occupant, on a vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000, or that was fitted with such equipment on or after 1 July 2000, must comply with all of the following requirements:
a) 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
b) the wheelchair must be prevented from tipping backwards, and
c) a head support must be fitted if the back of the wheelchair occupant’s head would be against a window, bulkhead or partition, and
d) a restraint system must be fitted to prevent the wheelchair from swinging out of position or tipping over, and
e) 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
f) the restraint system must include easily accessible quick-release mechanisms.
10. A passenger service vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000 that is designed to carry a forward-facing wheelchair and occupant, must be fitted with a restraint system for a wheelchair.
11. A heavy passenger service vehicle that entered passenger service in New Zealand on or after 1 July 2000 that is designed to carry a rearward-facing wheelchair and occupant, must be fitted with a backrest head support and may be fitted with a restraint system for a wheelchair.
Condition and performance
12. Refer to section 7-1, general vehicle pages.
Folding or tilting passenger seats fitted in stairwells
13. A folding or tilting passenger seat fitted to the stairwell behind the front axle must comply with the following:
a) there must be an unobstructed doorway in front of the front axle for passenger entry or exit, and
b) the seats must lock automatically, both when in use and in the fold-away or tilted position, and
c) operating instructions for the seats must be clearly displayed, and
d) the seats must be designed to minimise the risk of injury to the passengers using the seats, and
e) provision must be made to ensure that the seat mechanism cannot cause injury to passengers using the concealed stairwell.
Position of driver’s seat and controls
14. The driver must have safe and reasonably easy access to the driver’s seat.
15. The driving controls must be protected, or located in such a way as to minimise the risk that they will be operated accidentally.
Modification
16. Refer to section 7-1, general vehicle pages.
17. If a passenger seat, crew seat, wheelchair restraint system, or wheelchair and occupant restraint system is fitted, relocated or modified in a heavy PSV since it was last certified for operation in-service, the passenger seat, crew seat, wheelchair restraint system, or wheelchair and occupant restraint system must comply with the requirements for entry certification.
Page amended 1 October 2012 (see amendment details).