Section 4: Passenger safety
4.1 Introduction
Passenger safety, speed and security of movement while boarding, accessing and leaving seated positions, and alighting is paramount to the provision of a service that is attractive and timely to the public, and one in which they can have confidence.
There are a range of features that contribute to the overall safety performance and ease of use of a bus and these are detailed in this section.
4.2 Step and plinth edges
All steps at door entry and exits or within the vehicle must have full width step edges and faces fitted with a distinctive high-visibility, non-slip/trip style nosing that contrasts, ie a solid band of contrasting colour, with the immediately adjacent flooring material.
The nosing dimensions in the horizontal and vertical planes must be within the range 45-50 mm in width. Sharks tooth style is not preferred.
Plinths must have a minimum of similar nosing on the horizontal edge.
4.3 Stanchions/handrails
Vertical high-visibility contrasting colour stanchions from either floor to ceiling or seatback to ceiling, as location dictates, should be fitted throughout the length of the bus and close to the aisle so that they are spaced at alternate seats left and right of the aisle, and a passenger can walk/move the length of the bus while able to hold a stanchion with one hand at all times.
Additional stanchions are required immediately adjacent to doorways and in priority seating or wheelchair areas if not already fitted as above.
In areas where seating may have been reduced to provide for more people to stand, priority seating or wheelchair positions, or is of the folding style, then overhead contrasting colour handrails are required. These should be no higher than 1900 mm from floor level.
Stanchion/handrail maximum cross-section dimension should be in the range of 30-35 mm and may be of a circular or elliptical cross section.
For handrails, they should have a clear space of not less than 45 mm between any part of the vehicle and all parts of a handrail other than its mountings. Knurling is not encouraged for general cleanliness and hygiene reasons.
4.4 Grab handles
As with stanchions and handrails, all grab handles should be of the same high-visibility contrasting colour material, and have a circular or elliptical cross section of 30-35 mm on the maximum section.
In addition to the mandatory grab handles required to be fitted to doors, grab handles are also required in the following:
- Any priority seating area located to be readily accessible to any seated or wheelchair passengers, eg on the side walls where experience indicates short handles do not provide the assistance necessary.
- Fare paying area.
- Integral to all seatbacks (except for rearmost seats) on the aisle side of any forward or rearward facing seat and should be such that there is >45 mm finger clearance to the handle.
- On the underside of any folding seat located to provide a firm handle to any wheelchair passenger when manoeuvring into, out of or occupying a wheelchair space.
4.5 Seat protection (chin guard)
The top of any seat back whether it has an integral top or raised separate bar must be protected with suitable soft style padding to reduce the danger of injury to a passenger from a fall, a bus sudden braking movement or accident impact.
4.6 Fare paying area
A clear space area for fare paying must be located at the front entrance, immediately to the left of the bus driver. It must be:
- flat at same level as first step unless the entry has a sloped area
- >500 x 500 mm in area.
4.7 Lighting
Lighting must be provided:
- for the internal entry and exit doorway step areas and externally downwards and outwards for 500 mm beyond the step edge to a level of >100 lux measured at 100 mm out from the step level
- fare paying area >65 lux
- general saloon >20 lux.
4.8 Security
Provision (including wiring and mounting) for installation of internal CCTV automatic security/video cameras is required as follows:
| Small bus | One located immediately to the rear of driver. |
| Medium bus and large bus | Two, one located as above and the second close to rear door or rear axle area. |
See section seven for additional security measures for the driver.
Last updated: 21 August 2008
