29 Mar 2016

The Minister of Transport and Communications’ waiver on regulations 111 of the Road Traffic Act in December 2013 is coming to an end on March 31. 

A press release from the ministry has informed public transport operators that effective April 1, all public service vehicles shall comply with the stated regulations. 

The regulations stipulate that the driver’s seat of a motor-omnibus shall be adjustable and have a partition immediately behind it and be so placed as to afford the driver ample space for controlling the bus.

The statement further says seats provided for passengers in any motor-omnibus shall be clean and well-maintained and shall comply with the specification that every seat shall have a backrest, the top of which shall be at least 380 mm from seat level and the bottom of which shall be not more than 150 mm from seat level and the width of the backrest of every seat shall be at least 380 mm for every passenger to be seated on such seat.

Also, the height of every seat from the floor or footrest of such seat to seat level shall be not less than 380 mm and not more than 460 mm while the depth of every seat from the front of the seat to the front of its backrest shall be at least 350 mm, states the release.

Other specifications according to the release are that the width of every seat shall be in accordance with the provisions of regulation 90(2) or (3), where seats are parallel and face in the same direction, the horizontal distance between the front of the backrest of any seat at seat level to the back of the backrest of the seat in front of it shall be at least 630 mm;

The release states that where any seat faces a partition or similar obstruction, the horizontal distance between the front of the backrest of such seat at seat level to such partition or obstruction shall be at least 630 mm.

Operators are informed that where seats face each other the horizontal distance between the front surfaces of the backrests of such seats at seat level shall be at least 1,57m, states the release.

Another advise is that no seat shall face an entrance unless there is a provision in front thereof a partition at least to seat level and the partition reaches to the roof of the bus, a handrail at a height of not less than 900 mm and not more than 1,02 m from the floor.

The release states that where any seat is placed that one end is opposite an entrance, a guard rail shall be affixed to the side of such seat to a height of at least 150 mm above the seat level and equivalent in length to the depth of the seat and every seat shall be fixed securely. Ends