- Laws of Fiji

Last Updated: 25 April 2022

[LAT 10,265] Requirements for omnibuses52

(1) An omnibus provided with a longitudinal aisle providing access to one or more rows of seats must have an aisle width of—

(a)not less than 600 mm for an omnibus which is approved to carry standing passengers;
(b)not less than 330 mm for any other omnibus.

(2) A longitudinal aisle—

(a)must have a skid resistant surface; and
(b)must not have a slope of more than one in 16 in areas intended for standing passengers or more than one in 10 in areas not intended for standing passengers.

(3) In the case of an omnibus with a longitudinal aisle—

(a)the omnibus must have at least one means of access on the left hand side of the vehicle;
(b)the access to the aisle must have no obstruction;
(c)the access must be not less than 550 mm in width; and
(d)the height from the lowest step to the top of the opening must not be less than 1.8 m for an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers and not less than 1.2 m for other omnibuses.

(4) Except for an emergency exit, no other means of exit must be provided on the right hand side of the omnibus other than to provide access to the driver's position.

(5) Every omnibus must be fitted with an access door at every point of access and the access door must be capable of being operated by the driver from the normal driving position.

(6) Access doors must not be designed to operate inwards unless the doors are so constructed that they will not protrude into the omnibus further than the steps provided at the access.

(7) Access doors must not have internal fittings designed to cover the internal steps when the doors are closed.

(8) Access doors designed to be open when the vehicle is in motion must not extend beyond the line of the side of the vehicle.

(9) The height inside the omnibus measured on the longitudinal centre line of the aisle must be not less than—

(a)1.8 m for an omnibus in which standing passengers are permitted;
(b)1.65 m for an omnibus permitted to carry more than 25 passengers; and
(c)1.35 m for an omnibus permitted to carry up to 25 passengers or 1.2 m if the aisle is not more than 2 m in length.

(10) If access to a row of seats is not by a longitudinal aisle, the height measured on the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle from the floor to the ceiling must be not less than—

(a)1.5 m for an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers; and
(b)1.2 m for any other omnibus.

(11) Any step must be fitted and maintained with a skid resistant tread.

(12) The height of the first step above the ground must be not more than 410 mm and the height of any other step must be not more than 280 mm.

(13) The tread depth of any step must be not less than—

(a)225 mm for an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers; and
(b)180 mm for any other omnibus.

(14) The tread of one step may undercut the tread of the next highest step provided that when viewed in plan not less than 180 mm of the lower step is visible.

(15) The width of the steps must be not less than the width of the opening in the case of the lower steps and not less than 450 mm in the case of the other steps.

(16) If an omnibus has provisions for standing passengers, a suitable guard rail or other structure must be provided to prevent any passenger from accidentally coming into contact with the driver or a control device.

(17) If an omnibus has an access door rearwards of the driver's position, a mirror of suitable dimension must be so located to give the driver an adequate view of the door and the approaches.

(18) Hand straps must be provided for standing passengers.

(19) Floors must be covered and maintained with a skid resistant surface and must be so constructed and sealed as to prevent fumes from the engine or dust from the roadway entering the interior of the vehicle.

(20) Each seating position must have a dimension of not less than 400 mm when measured along the front of the squab.

(21) The distance from the foremost point of each seat squab to the foremost point of the corresponding seat cushion must be not less 350 mm.

(22) There must be no obstruction horizontally forward of any joint on the seat squab for a distance of at least—

(a)1.4 m for an opposite facing seating position in an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers;
(b)1.2 m for an opposite facing seating position in any other omnibus;
(c)660 mm for other seating positions.

(23) There must be no obstruction in front of each seating position within a space 200 mm horizontally forward of the seat cushion, 150 mm on each side of the centre of the seating position and between the floor and the level of the seat cushion.

(24) The height of each un-depressed seat cushion must not exceed 500 mm or be less than—

(a)400 mm in the case of an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers;
(b)380 mm in the case of other omnibuses; or
(c)300 mm when the normal floor level is interrupted by a wheel arch.

(25) Each seat must provide reasonable comfort and adequate support for passengers.

(26) The rear and top of a seat squab including a handrail must not have any sharp edges or projections.

(27) There must be no interior door separating the normal passengers’ space from the access door or the emergency exit.

(28) An omnibus operating on a road route licence must be fitted with a passenger’s stop signal within convenient reach of every passenger in order to provide communication with the driver.

(29) The interior of each omnibus must be equipped with lamps which give sufficient light for the convenience of passengers and the step tread and risers must be directly and adequately lighted.

(30) If a luggage rack is provided it must be affixed so that the vertical distance between the rack and the seat surface is not less than 950 mm and the rack must be constructed to reduce to a minimum the possibility of injury to a passenger from any projection or by the accidental dislodgement of any luggage.

(31) If the transmission of an omnibus incorporates any longitudinal drive shafts, couplings or intermediate shafts, provision must be made to prevent the forward end of the shaft or coupling from contacting the road in the event of detachment of the forward end from its normal position.

(32) If glazed side windows are provided in the omnibus, not less than half the windows must be capable of being opened, unless an alternative means of ventilation is provided to the satisfaction of the Certifying Officer.

(33) Any material used in the construction of the body, floor and seats of an omnibus must be of fire resistant quality approved by the Authority.

(34) The suspension of an omnibus must incorporate a design feature approved by the Authority by which the front axle is prevented from moving backwards to such an extent that the driver is likely to lose directional control of the vehicle in the event of a failure of a spring, torsion bar or other resilient component.

(35) Every omnibus must be fitted with a fire extinguisher of a type and capacity approved by the Authority.

(36) Every, omnibus operating on a stage service must display—

(a)a sign on the front of the vehicle not less than 1.2 m above the ground indicating the destination in letters clearly visible under daylight conditions at a distance of 50 m; and
(b)signs indicating any route number specified in the road route licence, one of which must be located on the front of the vehicle and of such a size as to be clearly visible under daylight conditions at a distance of 50 m and another located to the side of the vehicle for the benefit of passengers boarding the vehicle.

(37) Every omnibus operating on an express service must display signs on the front of the vehicle indicating the word EXPRESS at a height not less than 1.2 m above the ground and of such a size as to be clearly visible at a distance of 50 m under daylight conditions.

(38) An emergency exit—

(a)must be provided in the extreme rear of the vehicle; or
(b)may be provided in the roof in the rear half of the passenger compartment, if an additional emergency exit is provided in the right hand side of the rear half of the passenger compartment which provides for a minimum area of 3,200 sq cms with no dimension less than 500 mm.

(39) The main emergency exit must have an area of not less than 7,000 sq cms for an omnibus permitted to carry in excess of 25 passengers and 5,200 sq cms for any other omnibus and no dimension of the main emergency exit may be less than 500 mm.

(40) Every emergency exit must be—

(a)identified by a prominent notice inside and outside displaying the words EMERGENCY EXIT, by words or symbols indicating the method of opening; and
(b)capable of being opened outwards from both the inside and outside the vehicle.