Proposed Amendments to the Road Traffic (Construction &

Proposed Amendments to the Road Traffic (Construction &

Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374 sub.leg.A)

WTO Notification Document

Proposed additional clauses in Regulation 73:

In every school transport vehicle first registered on or after the specified date –

(a) every seat shall be forward facing;

(b) all seats and the accessories attached thereto shall not have sharp edges which may increase the risk or severity of injury to seated passengers in traffic accidents;

(c) all seats and their anchorages shall conform with one or more of the specifications and standards set out in Part 3 of Schedule 15 (Annex A to this Drafting Instruction), and a suitable and indelible mark shall be clearly shown on the seat and/or anchorage to indicate compliance with the specification or standard used;

(d) every restraining barrier and its anchorage shall be constructed to the same dimensional and strength requirements as a seat and its anchorage as required in sub-paragraph (c), and a suitable and indelible mark shall be clearly shown on the seat and/or anchorage to indicate compliance with the specification or standard used;

(e) every controlled surface shall be made of impact energy absorption material, and no folding table or (folding) accessories shall be allowed to be installed on the controlled surface;

(f) all seats and restraining barriers shall be made of fire resistant material;

(g) every seat shall have a back rest of not less than 700mm in height and if a back rest exceeds 800mm in height, the seat concerned shall also be equipped with a head restraint conforming with the technical requirements of one or more of the specifications and standards set out in Part 2 of Schedule 15;

(h) all seat shall be so fitted that there is a clear space of not less than 650 mm and not more than 740mm in front of the back rest of any seat;

(i) every seat shall be so fitted that it has another seat back or a restraining barrier in front of it, in such a manner as to afford adequate protection against a passenger seated in that seat from being thrown forward to another position in the vehicle in the event of an accident;

(j) the seat cushion on every seat shall be less than 72mm higher than the seat cushion on the seat directly in front, if any;

Sub-paragraphs (c) and (g) shall not apply to a seat which has no other seat situated directly behind it.

Sub-paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (g), (h) (i) and (j) shall not apply to a specified passenger’s seat or middle front seat on a light bus which is subject to seat belt requirements under the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations (Cap. 374 sub.leg.F)

Proposed additional definitions :

“school transport vehicle” means vehicles licensed under the following categories :

(a) school private light bus

(b) public bus operating under a passenger service licence with student service endorsement

“seat cushion” means the part of the seat which is arranged almost horizontally and designed to support a seated passenger

“bench seat” means a structure complete with trim, intended to seat more than one adult person

any reference to a “seat” in this regulation shall be construed as a reference to both “seat” and “bench seat”

“restraining barrier” means a structure, other than the back of a seat, which is intended to afford adequate protection against a seated passenger from being thrown forward to another position in the vehicle in the event of a traffic accident;

“controlled surface” means any surface which is likely to be struck by the head of a seated passenger moving in the forward direction in the event of a traffic accident, and includes, but is not limited to, the rear part, edge or top of seat backs, restraining barriers, guards, screens or partitions; and in the case of a bench seat, controlled surface shall include all surfaces likely to be struck by the head of a passenger seated in any possible seating position on that bench seat

“impact energy absorption material” means a part or material which conforms with one or more of the specifications and standards set out in Part 4 of Schedule 15 (Annex A to this Drafting Instruction)

“fire resistant material” means a material which conforms with one or more of the specifications set out in Part 5 of Schedule 15 (Annex A to this Drafting Instruction)

Proposed Schedules :

SCHEDULE 15

PART 3

SEATS AND THEIR ANCHORAGES FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES

1. ECE Regulation No. 80 made by the Economic Commission for Europe dated 25 May 1989 (E/ECE/324-E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev. 1/Add. 79) including all revisions for seats of large passenger vehicles and of these vehicles with regard to the strength of the seats and their anchorages made before the date this paragraph comes into operation;

SCHEDULE 15

PART 4

ENERGY ABSORPTION REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES

1. Annex 4 of ECE Regulation No. 21 made by the Economic Commission for Europe dated 2 June 1971 (E/ECE/324-E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev. 1/Add. 20) including all revisions for the interior fittings of motor vehicles made before the date this paragraph comes into operation;

SCHEDULE 15

PART 5

FLAMMABILITY OF SEAT MATERIAL FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES

1. ECE Regulation No. 118 made by the Economic Commission for Europe dated 20 April 2005 (E/ECE/324-E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev. 2/Add. 117) including all revisions for the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicles including all revisions made before the date this paragraph comes into operation.

WTO notification copy