XN000022-1976-01-22 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1976

NEW REGULATIONS TO DETER OVERLOADING OF BUSES

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ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO ENSURE BETTER BRAKING SYSTEMS FOR ARTICULATED-LORRY TRAILERS, TO IMPOSE STIFF PENALTIES ON A BUS COMPANY RATHER THAN THE DRIVER OF AN OVERLOADED BUS, AND TO SET REVISED LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY GOODS VEHICLES.

THE ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND USE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1976, TO BE GAZETTED TOMORROW (FRIDAY), ADD TO THE SAFETY OF BUS PASSENGERS BY MAKING THE OWNER OF THE BUS LIABLE TO A $2,000 FINE FOR CARRYING EXCESS PASSENGERS.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT PREVIOUSLY IT WAS THE BUS DRIVER WHO WAS MOST LIABLE TO BE PROSECUTED, AS IT WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE TO THE SATISFACTION OF A COURT THAT HIS EMPLOYER HAD PERMITTED HIM TO CARRY AN EXCESS NUMBER OF PASSENGERS.

+THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY MOST UNFAIR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +ESPECIALLY TO DRIVERS OF THE MANY ONE-MAN OPERATED BUSES WHO HAD TO DEPEND ON THE COMPANY REGULATORS LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS BOARDING AT BUSY BUS STOPS.

+ IT IS HOPED THAT THE NEW REGULATION WILL DETER THE BUS COMPANIES FROM ALLOWING OR ENCOURAGING THE OVERLOADING OF BUSES AS PROSECUTION OF THE BUS OWNER WILL BE MUCH MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD, + HE SAID.

THE REVISED REGULATIONS ALSO PROVIDE FOR GREATER SAFETY TO PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS BY SETTING STRICT NEW STANDARDS ON BRAKING SYSTEMS OF TRAILERS. THIS WAS CONSIDERED NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF 20-FOOT AND 40-FOOT CONTAINERS NOW BEING TRANSPORTED BETWEEN THE SHIPPING BERTHS AND FACTORIES.

ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN, THE REVISED REGULATIONS RESULTED FROM DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND THE MOTOR TRADERS ASSOCIATION. +INITIALLY, ONLY NEW TRAILERS MANUFACTURED ON OR AFTER JULY 23, 1976, THAT IS SIX MONTHS FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW LAWS, WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW STANDARDS. AT THE END OF A FURTHER SIX MONTHS, THAT IS JANUARY 23, 1977, ALL EXISTING TRAILERS WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW STANDARDS FOR BRAKING SYSTEMS.+

THE SEATING CAPACITY OF GOODS VEHICLES HAS ALSO BEEN REVISED SO AS TO ALLOW MORE PASSENGERS TO BE CARRIED IN THE CAB OF VEHICLES UNDER TWO TONS UNLADEN WEIGHT, AND IN THE CASE OF GOODS VEHICLES OVER TWO TONS, SIX PEOPLE MAY BE CARRIED IN THE REAR IN ADDITION TO THE SEATING CAPACITY OF THE CAB WHICH NOW CANNOT EXCEED FIVE.

THE SPOKESMAN