Article 10: Enforcement and Penalties
32.Article 10 replaces the existing criminal sanctions in the DDA for non-compliance with rail vehicle accessibility regulations with a civil enforcement regime which enables penalties to be levied. The Article will enable the Department for Regional Development to inspect vehicles and to issue an operator with an improvement notice, which sets a deadline for non-compliance to be rectified. If the non-compliance continues after the improvement deadline, a final notice can be issued. If the final deadline is missed a fine can be imposed. An operator can lodge an objection against either the imposition or the level of a fine. The provisions also provide a right of appeal to the court.
