ANNEX VIIISPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DOUBLE-DECK VEHICLES
This Annex contains the requirements for double-deck vehicles, where these differ from the basic requirements of Annex I. The paragraphs or subparagraphs below shall replace those paragraphs or subparagraphs with equivalent numbers in Annex I. Unless otherwise stated below, all the other requirements of Annex I shall apply to double-deck vehicles. The numbering of paragraphs below follows that of Annex I.
7.4.2.1.
Loads equal to Q (as defined in paragraph 7.4.3.3.1, of Annex I to Directive 97/27/EC) shall be placed on each upper deck passenger seat. If the vehicle is intended to be used with a crew member who is not seated, the centre of gravity of the mass on 75 kg representing the crew member shall be placed in the upper deck gangway at a height of 875 mm. The baggage compartments shall not contain any baggage.
7.5.5.Fire extinguishers and first-aid equipment
7.5.5.1.
Space shall be provided for the fitting of two fire extinguishers, one being near the driver's seat and one on the upper deck. The space shall be not less than 15 dm3.
7.6.Exits
7.6.1.Number of exits
7.6.1.1.
Every double-deck vehicle shall have two doors on the lower deck (see also paragraph 7.6.2.2). The minimum number of service doors required is as follows:
Number of passengers | Number of service doors on a double-deck vehicle | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Class I and A | Class II | Class III and B | |
9—45 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
46—70 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
71—100 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
> 100 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
7.6.1.4.
The minimum number of emergency exits shall be such that the total number of exits is as follows, the number of exits for each separate deck and each separate compartment being determined separately. Toilet compartments or galleys are not considered to be separate compartments for the purposes of defining the number of emergency exits. Escape hatches can only count as one of the abovementioned number of emergency exits:
Number of passengers and crew per compartment to be accommodated in each compartment or deck | Minimum total number of emergency exits |
|---|---|
1—8 | 2 |
9—16 | 3 |
17—30 | 4 |
31—45 | 5 |
46—60 | 6 |
61—75 | 7 |
76—90 | 8 |
91—110 | 9 |
111—130 | 10 |
> 130 | 11 |
7.6.1.11.
Escape hatches, additional to the emergency doors and windows, shall be fitted in the roof of the upper deck of Class II and Class III vehicles. They may also be fitted in the case of Class I vehicles. In such case the minimum number of hatches shall be:
Total number of passengers in the upper deck (Aa) | Number of hatches |
|---|---|
not exceeding 50 | 1 |
exceeding 50 | 2 |
7.6.1.12.
Each intercommunication staircase shall be considered to be an exit from the upper deck.
7.6.1.13.
All persons accommodated in the lower deck must, in an emergency situation, have access to the exterior of the vehicle without having to enter the upper deck.
7.6.1.14.
The upper deck gangway shall be connected by one or more intercommunication staircases to the access passageway of a service door or to the lower deck gangway within 3 m of a service door;
- (a)
two, or at least one and-one-half staircases, shall be provided in Class I and Class II vehicles if more than 50 passengers are carried on the upper deck;
- (b)
two, or at least one and-one-half staircases, are to be provided in Class III vehicles if more than 30 passengers are carried on the upper deck.
7.6.2.Siting of exits
7.6.2.2.
Two of the doors referred to in paragraph 7.6.1.1 shall be separated such that the distance between transverse vertical planes through their centres of area is not less than either 25 % of the overall length of the vehicle or 40 % of the overall length of the passenger compartment on the lower deck; this shall not apply if the two doors are on different sides of the vehicle. If one of these two doors forms part of a double door, this distance shall be measured between the two doors which are furthest apart.
7.6.2.3.
The exits on every deck shall be placed in such a way that their number on each of the two sides of the vehicle is substantially the same.
7.6.2.4.
In each upper deck, at least one emergency exit shall be situated either in the rear face or in the front face of the vehicle respectively.
7.6.4.Technical requirements for all service doors
7.6.4.6.
If the direct view is not adequate, optical or other devices shall be installed to enable the driver to detect from his seat the presence of a passenger in the immediate exterior vicinity of every service door which is not an automatically-operated service door. In the case of vehicles of Class I, this requirement also applies to the interior of all service doors and to the immediate vicinity of each intercommunication staircase on the upper deck.
7.6.7.Technical requirements for emergency doors
7.6.7.3.
Every control or device for opening an emergency door on the lower deck from the outside shall be between 1 000 and 1 500 mm from the ground and not more than 500 mm from the door. In vehicles of Classes I, II and III every control or device for opening a emergency door from the inside shall be between 1 000 and 1 500 mm from the upper surface of the floor or step nearest to the control and be not more than 500 mm from the door. This shall not apply to controls located within the driver's area.
7.7.5.Gangways (see figure 1)
7.7.5.1.
The gangways of a vehicle shall be so designed and constructed as to permit the free passage of a gauging device consisting of two co-axial cylinders with an inverted truncated cone interposed between them, the gauging device having the following dimensions:
(in mm) | ||||||
37Class I | 37Class II | 37Class III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Upper/lower deck: | UD | LD | UD | LD | UD | LD |
Diameter of lower cylinder | 450 | 450 | 350 | 350 | 300 | 300 |
Height of lower cylinder | 900 | 1 020 (900/990) | 900 | 1 020 (900/990) | 900 | 1 020 (900/990) |
Diameter of upper cylinder | 550 | 550 | 550 | 550 | 450 | 450 |
Height of upper cylinder | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
Overall height | 1 680 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) | 1 680 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) | 1 680 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) |
Dimensions in brackets apply for the rear most part of the lower deck and near the front axle only (see paragraph 7.7.5.10) | ||||||
The gauging device may come into contact with strap hangers for standing passengers, if fitted, and move them away. The diameter of the upper cylinder may be reduced at the top to 300 mm when a chamfer not exceeding 30 degrees from the horizontal is included (figure 1).
7.7.5.3.
On articulated buses or coaches, the gauging device defined in paragraph 7.7.5.1 shall be able to pass unobstructed through the articulated section on any deck where the two sections permit through passage by passengers. No part of the soft covering of that section, including parts of bellows, shall project into the gangway.
7.7.5.10
The overall height of the gauging device of paragraph 7.7.5.1 may be reduced:
from 1 800 mm to 1 680 mm in any part of the gangway of the lower deck to the rear of a transverse vertical plane situated 1 500 mm forward to the centre of the rear axle (foremost rear axle in the case of vehicles with more than one rear axle),
from 1 800 mm to 1 770 mm in the case of a service door which is situated forward the front axle in any part of the gangway situated between two transverse vertical planes situated 800 mm forwards and behind the centre line of the front axle.
7.7.7.Steps
7.7.7.1.
850 mm maximum in the case of an emergency door in the lower deck and 1 500 mm maximum in the case of the emergency door in the upper deck.
7.7.8.6.Free height over seating positions
7.7.8.6.1.
Each seating position shall have a free height of not less than 900 mm measured from the highest point of the uncompressed seat cushion. This free height shall extend over the vertical projection of the whole area of the seat and the associated foot space. In the case of the upper deck, this free height may be reduced to 850 mm.
7.7.12Intercommunication staircase (see Annex III, figure 1)
7.7.12.1.
The minimum width of any intercommunication staircase shall be so designed as to permit the free passage of the single door access template as defined in figure 1 of Annex III. The panel shall be moved starting from the gangway of the lower deck up to the last step, in the probable direction of motion of a person using the staircase.
7.7.12.2.
Intercommunication staircases shall be so designed that, during heavy braking of the vehicle moving in the forward direction, there is no danger of a passenger being projected downwards.
This requirement is considered to be fulfilled if at least one of the following conditions is met:
7.7.12.2.1.
no part of the staircase is forward descending;
7.7.12.2.2.
the staircase is equipped with guards or a similar provision;
7.7.12.2.3.
there is an automatic device in the upper part of the staircase which prevents the use of the staircase when the vehicle is in motion; this device shall be easily operable in an emergency.
7.7.12.3.
It shall be verified, by use of the cylinder of paragraph 7.7.5.1, that access conditions from the gangways (upper and lower) to the staircase are adequate.
7.11.Handrails and handholds
7.11.5.Handrails and handholds for intercommunication staircases
7.11.5.1.
Suitable handrails or handholds shall be provided at each side of all intercommunication staircases. These shall be positioned between 800 mm and 1 100 mm above the tread edge of each step.
7.11.5.2.
The handrails and/or handholds to be provided shall be such that they include a grasping point available to a person standing on the lower or upper deck adjacent to the intercommunication staircase, and at any of the successive steps. Such points shall be situated vertically between 800 mm and 1 100 mm above the lower deck or each above the surface of each step, and,
7.11.5.2.1.
for the position appropriate to a person standing on the lower deck, not more than 400 mm inwards from the outer edge of the first step, and
7.11.5.2.2.
for the position appropriate to a particular step, not outwards from the outer edge of the step considered, and not more than 600 mm inwards from the same edge.
7.14.Guarding of stepwells and exposed seats
7.14.2
On the upper deck of a double-deck vehicle, the intercommunication staircase well shall be protected by an enclosed guard having a minimum height of 800 mm measured from the floor. The lower edge of the guard shall not be more than 100 mm from the floor.
7.14.3
The front windscreen ahead of passengers occupying upper-deck front seats must be provided with a padded guard. The higher edge of that protection shall be situated vertically between 800 mm and 900 mm above the floor where the passenger's feet rest.
7.14.4
The riser of each step in a staircase shall be closed.
B (mm) | C (mm) | D (mm) | E (mm)38 | F (mm)38 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class I | 550 | 450 | 500 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) | 1 020 (900/990) |
Class II | 550 | 350 | 500 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) | 1 020 (900/990) |
Class III | 450 | 300 (220 in the case of laterally movable seats) | 500 | 1 800 (1 680/1 770) | 1 020 (900/990) |
Dimensions in brackets apply for upper deck only and/or the rearmost part of the lower deck and/or the lower deck near the front axle only (see paragraph 7.7.5.10). | |||||