Part V Public Transport

Rail vehicles

C1E146 Rail vehicle accessibility regulations.

F11

The F2Department of the Environment may make regulations (“rail vehicle accessibility regulations”) for the purpose of securing that it is possible—

a

for disabled persons—

i

to get on to and off regulated rail vehicles in safety and without unreasonable difficulty;

ii

to be carried in such vehicles in safety and in reasonable comfort; and

b

for disabled persons in wheelchairs—

i

to get on to and off such vehicles in safety and without unreasonable difficulty while remaining in their wheelchairs, and

ii

to be carried in such vehicles in safety and in reasonable comfort while remaining in their wheelchairs.

2

Rail vehicle accessibility regulations may, in particular, make provision as to the construction, use and maintenance of regulated rail vehicles including provision as to—

a

the fitting of equipment to vehicles;

b

equipment to be carried by vehicles;

c

the design of equipment to be fitted to, or carried by, vehicles;

d

the use of equipment fitted to, or carried by, vehicles;

e

the toilet facilities to be provided in vehicles;

f

the location and floor area of the wheelchair accommodation to be provided in vehicles;

g

assistance to be given to disabled persons.

3

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4

F3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F44A

The Department for Regional Development shall exercise the power to make rail vehicle accessibility regulations so as to secure that on and after 1st January 2020 every rail vehicle is a regulated rail vehicle, but this does not affect the powers conferred by subsection (5) or section 47(1) or 67(2).

5

Different provision may be made in rail vehicle accessibility regulations—

a

as respects different classes or descriptions of rail vehicle;

b

as respects the same class or description of rail vehicle in different circumstances;

c

as respects different networks.

6

In this section—

  • “network” means any permanent way or other means of guiding or supporting rail vehicles or any section of it;

  • F5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • F6“rail vehicle” means a vehicle constructed or adapted to carry passengers by rail;

  • “regulated rail vehicle” means any rail vehicle to which F7provisions of rail vehicle accessibility regulations are expressed to apply; and

  • “wheelchair accommodation” has such meaning as may be prescribed.

7

F8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8

F9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

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10

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11

Before making any regulations under subsection (1) or section 47 the F2Department of the Environment shall consult F10such representative organisations as it thinks fit.