These Regulations amend the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (S.R. 1999 No. 454) consequent upon certain provisions in the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (S.R. 2003 No. 37), which require power operated boarding lifts and ramps fitted to regulated public service vehicles to activate or produce an audible signal when in operation.

Accordingly, regulation 44 (audible warning instruments) is amended to include in paragraph (10) a definition of “boarding aid alarm” and to bring such an alarm within the provisions (paragraphs (2) and (3)) controlling the permitted sound to be emitted from them. Regulation 114 (use of audible warning instruments) is amended so as to bring boarding aid alarms within paragraph (2) and to enable them to be used whilst the vehicle is stationary and to include them within paragraph (3) so as to prevent their use if the signal would be likely to be confused with the sound emitted in the operation of a pedestrian crossing.