The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) (Blackpool Tramway) Exemption Order 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order exempts certain tramcars from specified requirements of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 (“the 2010 Regulations”) where the vehicles are used on the Blackpool Tramway. These are specified double deck “Balloon” tramcars (“Fleet B tramcars”) and certain types of historic and special tramcars which first entered service before 1st January 1999 and which are being used primarily for tourist, educational or recreational purposes to demonstrate an historical or special type of transport service.

The Order exempts Fleet B tramcars from requirements of the 2010 Regulations relating to:

• the surface of handholds being slip resistant;

• the width of the cross section of handholds;

• the distance between handrails in a tramcar;

• the provision of stop controls in a tramcar;

• the illumination of steps in a tramcar;

• the height of steps in a tramcar;

• the depth of steps in a tramcar; and

• the provision of wheelchair spaces where a tramcar has capacity to accommodate 100 or more passengers.

The Order exempts the historic and special tramcars from all the requirements under the 2010 Regulations subject to their being used as described above and subject to passengers only being permitted to board these tramcars at designated heritage stops.

This Order is without limitation of time but the Secretary of State may revoke this exemption by Order.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the costs of business, third sector organisations, regulators or consumers is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is available alongside the instrument on the website www.legislation.gov.org.