PSV Accessibility Regulations (DDA Regulations) - at a glance
PSV Accessibility Regulations (DDA Regulations) - at a glance
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Service Manager, Coatham Connect
Hi all
Seeing as there seems to be much confusion over what meets the DDA regulations and what doesn't, and the dates etc for vehicles, I thought I would put a thread together to explain it all and therefore for discussion on various points.
The Regulations apply to any public service vehicle with a capacity exceeding 22 passengers used to provide a local or scheduled service. Here is a quick guide that I have written but you can find the full regulations here
Priority Floor Area
Free of steps
Floor not to slope more than 3 deg, 5 deg in door area(s)
All floors need to be slip resistant
Contain at least 4 marked priority seats which must have a partition in front of it
Priority seats should not be moveable or tip up, and should only face the front or rear
Cushion width not less than 400mm, not above 500mm from floor
Gangways
Width of no less than 450mm upto a height of 1400mm from floor
Width of no less than 550mm at heights above 1400mm from floor
Vertical handrails must be provided along at least one side of gangway, at intervals of not less than 1050mm
Horizontal handrail from the door area to the priority seats, at a height between 800mm-900mm with minimum gaps where possible
Steps
should have contrasting colour edges
Entrance level must be no more than 250mm from the ground
Handrails
Horizontal handrail must be provided between 800mm-900mm from the ground on both sides
Horizontal handrail at intervals not more than 300mm from the door area to the designated wheelchair space
Handrails must have a diameter of not less than 30mm, not more than 35mm
No less than 45mm between the handrail and any other part of the vehicle
Contrasting colour
Bell pushes (communication device)
Must be within reach of every priority seat
Adjacent to no less than every third row of seats
No higher than 1200mm from floor for seated passengers
No higher than 1500mm from floor for standing passengers
Contrasting colour
When pressed, activate an audible and visual device (on each deck in case of double decks) that is visible to the majority of passengers
Kneeling system
Must be operational
Must be able to be stopped/reversible immediately by driver
Not allow vehicle to drive away while lowered
Destination Displays
On front of vehicle (route number & destination)
On nearside of vehicle (route number & destination) - between 1.2m (lower edge) and 2.5m (upper edge) height from the ground
Route number should be to the right of the front display
Displays showing both ends of the route simultaneously should be avoided
On rear of vehicle (route number only) - centrally above/below rear window no more than 2.5m above ground
Route numbers no less than 200mm height on front/rear displays
Route numbers no less than 70mm height on side display
Characters should contrast with background
Must be illuminated
Destination display must show characters no less than 125mm height on front, 70mm on side
Characters should contrast with background
Must be illuminated
Destinations must not be written in all capital letters
Dates for vehicles to comply
1st January 2015 - Single deck buses weighing less than 7.5 tonnes
1st January 2016 - Single deck buses weighing more than 7.5 tonnes
1st January 2017 - Double deck buses
1st January 2020 - Single deck & Double deck Coaches
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Service Manager, Coatham Connect
(04 Jan 2015, 6:03 pm)citaro5284 So a destination can have scrolling via points then.....
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(04 Jan 2015, 6:03 pm)citaro5284 So a destination can have scrolling via points then.....
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Service Manager, Coatham Connect
(04 Jan 2015, 6:06 pm)tyresmoke The wording is "commercial advertising should not detract" from the clarity of the destinations and that "Other major points on the route can be included but they should not detract from the clarity of the ultimate destination"
Interesting. So if any of a vehicle's three destination displays fail, the vehicle should be removed from service immediately, as it's not DDA compliant?
(04 Jan 2015, 6:06 pm)tyresmoke The wording is "commercial advertising should not detract" from the clarity of the destinations and that "Other major points on the route can be included but they should not detract from the clarity of the ultimate destination"
Well Scarlet Band fall short of many of the destination rules.
Many of the Solos have the service number on the left instead of the right.
The 55 reg ex Park and Ride Solos have roller destination equipment but never display anything and there is no destinations on the blinds.
Older Solos with out of date roller blinds and often just display SERVICE on the blind.
The Pink Bus YT51 EAW has no side destination equipment.
Also I don't think the main destination should be scrolling along eg. Durham North Road on the X49.
Interesting to see nothing on the destination/number colour scheme specific to dyslexia or for those who are colour blind.
Granted, it says the details should contrast, but there are specific colours which work better than others.
Ditto with the font/typeface.
(04 Jan 2015, 9:32 pm)Andreos1 Interesting to see nothing on the destination/number colour scheme specific to dyslexia or for those who are colour blind.I remember at my primary school, there was a few kids in my year who struggled to read anything unless they had a specific colour on top of the piece of paper to read it through.
Granted, it says the details should contrast, but there are specific colours which work better than others.
Ditto with the font/typeface.
(04 Jan 2015, 9:32 pm)Andreos1 Interesting to see nothing on the destination/number colour scheme specific to dyslexia or for those who are colour blind.I remember at my primary school, there was a few kids in my year who struggled to read anything unless they had a specific colour on top of the piece of paper to read it through.
Granted, it says the details should contrast, but there are specific colours which work better than others.
Ditto with the font/typeface.
(08 Jan 2015, 6:44 pm)mb134 Just wondering, does the bit about the service number being to the right of the destination apply to the rear destination (if applicable), as the rear display on 7524 has the route number on the left with the destination on the left.
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(08 Jan 2015, 6:44 pm)mb134 Just wondering, does the bit about the service number being to the right of the destination apply to the rear destination (if applicable), as the rear display on 7524 has the route number on the left with the destination on the left.
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(08 Jan 2015, 10:04 pm)tyresmoke Rear numbers with a destination are best on the left, closest to the kerb.Ah right okay just made me wonder with the thing about the one on the front being on the right, also as the others (that actually display the full thing) display theirs on the right.
http://rustyoldrubbish.blogspot.co.uk/20...ustry.html
Is DDA killing the bus industry?
(15 Aug 2015, 3:16 am)citaro5284 http://rustyoldrubbish.blogspot.co.uk/20...ustry.html
Is DDA killing the bus industry?
(15 Aug 2015, 3:16 am)citaro5284 http://rustyoldrubbish.blogspot.co.uk/20...ustry.html
Is DDA killing the bus industry?
The Disability Discrimination Act was superseded 5 years ago for a start. Its the Equality Act these days...
And no. The PSVAR is no more than a list of reasonable adjustments, to make buses available for everyone. That can only be a good thing. On the same token, an employer would be required to make similar adjustments, if they had disabled employees.
(15 Aug 2015, 6:55 am)Michael People with pushchairs think they the right to be first in line for a space to
...as my nana says: I remember putting the pushchairs down in 3 foot snow in a snow storm and having 10 bags of shopping... its not bloody hard, people these days are lazy.
(15 Aug 2015, 6:55 am)Michael People with pushchairs think they the right to be first in line for a space to
...as my nana says: I remember putting the pushchairs down in 3 foot snow in a snow storm and having 10 bags of shopping... its not bloody hard, people these days are lazy.
(15 Aug 2015, 6:55 am)Michael I'm going to agree in some way....
Some designs for buses has got worse... StreetDecker is one of those...
Companies can't afford to buy DDA buses - massive batches....
Although
They help people with disabilities
The elderly
AND
People with pushchairs think they the right to be first in line for a space to
...as my nana says: I remember putting the pushchairs down in 3 foot snow in a snow storm and having 10 bags of shopping... its not bloody hard, people these days are lazy.
(15 Aug 2015, 6:55 am)Michael I'm going to agree in some way....
Some designs for buses has got worse... StreetDecker is one of those...
Companies can't afford to buy DDA buses - massive batches....
Although
They help people with disabilities
The elderly
AND
People with pushchairs think they the right to be first in line for a space to
...as my nana says: I remember putting the pushchairs down in 3 foot snow in a snow storm and having 10 bags of shopping... its not bloody hard, people these days are lazy.
I wholly agree that all buses should be low-floor. What I don't agree with is how low-floor vehicles which are perfectly accessible aren't DDA-compliant for the most minor things which barely inconvenience disabled passengers.
Modifying these vehicles (or replacing them with vehicles which are DDA-compliant) would be a huge cost to a small business. What's better - a non-DDA compliant low-floor single decker turning up, or no bus at all?
(15 Aug 2015, 9:29 am)Dan I wholly agree that all buses should be low-floor. What I don't agree with is how low-floor vehicles which are perfectly accessible aren't DDA-compliant for the most minor things which barely inconvenience disabled passengers.
Modifying these vehicles (or replacing them with vehicles which are DDA-compliant) would be a huge cost to a small business. What's better - a non-DDA compliant low-floor single decker turning up, or no bus at all?
(15 Aug 2015, 9:29 am)Dan I wholly agree that all buses should be low-floor. What I don't agree with is how low-floor vehicles which are perfectly accessible aren't DDA-compliant for the most minor things which barely inconvenience disabled passengers.
Modifying these vehicles (or replacing them with vehicles which are DDA-compliant) would be a huge cost to a small business. What's better - a non-DDA compliant low-floor single decker turning up, or no bus at all?
(15 Aug 2015, 9:45 am)aureolin Minor things to you and I, may be a major thing to persons affected by it. I'd reckon there's proper reason and research behind everything included in the Equality Act and the PSVAR. Looking at the PSVAR specifically, a lot of operators are only doing the minimum required, rather than applying best practice. Though you'd expect modern orders to only be supplied as best practice.
I don't buy the non-compliant bus vs. no bus at all argument. If the bus isn't compliant, then for those affected by the element of non-compliance, the bus hasn't turned up for them.
(15 Aug 2015, 9:45 am)aureolin Minor things to you and I, may be a major thing to persons affected by it. I'd reckon there's proper reason and research behind everything included in the Equality Act and the PSVAR. Looking at the PSVAR specifically, a lot of operators are only doing the minimum required, rather than applying best practice. Though you'd expect modern orders to only be supplied as best practice.
I don't buy the non-compliant bus vs. no bus at all argument. If the bus isn't compliant, then for those affected by the element of non-compliance, the bus hasn't turned up for them.
Also, I can't understand why the Lolynes aren't DDA compliant. Compared to the Presidents, the Lolynes are much more accessible and you hear a lot of people complaining when the Presidents are on the 1 and 17 due to the lack of wheelchair room (1 small space compared to 2 spaces on the Lolynes) and also lack of seats downstairs.
(15 Aug 2015, 9:51 am)Dan Hardly anything has changed on Go North East's now DDA-compliant Volvo B10BLEs - sorry, I cannot see the removal of one seat and a few further minor modifications being of great assistance to disabled passengers.
Stand by what I said before... If a disabled passenger is not affected by something which makes a bus non-DDA compliant - what's better, that bus, or none at all (on what could potentially be a lifeline service to some passengers, given that a large number of independent operators do operate lifeline services).
(15 Aug 2015, 9:51 am)Dan Hardly anything has changed on Go North East's now DDA-compliant Volvo B10BLEs - sorry, I cannot see the removal of one seat and a few further minor modifications being of great assistance to disabled passengers.
Stand by what I said before... If a disabled passenger is not affected by something which makes a bus non-DDA compliant - what's better, that bus, or none at all (on what could potentially be a lifeline service to some passengers, given that a large number of independent operators do operate lifeline services).