Regulation 629, Vehicles for the Transportation of Physically Disabled Passengers has recently been amended to update the requirements for vehicles designed or modified to transport passengers with disabilities, not including those being used for personal purposes (e.g. family van). The regulation has also been streamlined to remove outdated or redundant requirements.
These changes took effect on July 1, 2011..
The amended regulation can be found at e-Laws:
Highway Traffic Act - R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 629
What’s New?
A 'physically-disabled-passenger vehicle' is now referred to as an 'accessible vehicle'. This does not change the scope of the regulation, and it continues to apply to vehicles including vans, buses, transit buses, motor coaches, school buses, and taxis that are used to transport persons with disabilities. These amendments affect operators, individuals, or organizations that offer accessible transportation for persons with disabilities, whether or not it is for compensation, as well as vehicle manufacturers and dealers. Regulation 629 does not apply to personal vehicles, therefore family vans equipped to transport persons with disabilities will not be affected by these changes.
New Requirements
New Requirement |
Effective July 1, 2011 |
Effective Jan. 1, 2013 Applies to Newly Manufactured Vehicles Only |
|---|---|---|
Power Lifts and Ramps |
||
Ramp must have a coloured-contrasted strip running the full width of the ramp marking the edge of the ramp at the end at which the wheelchair enters from the ground |
Yes |
Yes |
Power lift must have a coloured-contrasted strip running the full width of the platform marking the outer edge of the platform |
Yes |
Yes |
Steps |
||
Have full-width yellow or white step nosings |
Yes |
Yes |
Have closed risers, and uniform riser heights and tread depths, subject to the structural limitations of the vehicle |
Yes |
Yes |
Floor Surfaces |
||
Floor covering in the aisle and on the steps that produces minimal glare |
Yes |
Yes |
Where carpet is provided, carpeted surfaces shall have low, firm and level pile or loop |
Yes |
Yes |
Grab Bars, Handrails, Handholds or Stanchions |
||
If a vehicle is currently equipped with grab bars, handholds, handrails or stanchions, they must be securely mounted, colour-contrasted with their background, have a slip resistant surface, have an exterior diameter and sufficient clearance to permit easy grasping |
Yes |
Yes |
Vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2013 must be equipped with grab bars, handholds, handrails or stanchions that are securely mounted, colour-contrasted with their background, have a slip resistant surface, have an exterior diameter and sufficient clearance to permit easy grasping, and located:
|
N/A |
Yes |
Grab bars, handrails, handholds or stanchions must be distributed within the vehicle to facilitate the safe on-board movement of passengers, as appropriate to the design of the vehicle |
N/A |
Yes |
When located at an entrance of the vehicle, grab bars, handrails, handholds or stanchions are accessible from the ground and mounted so that they are inside the vehicle when the doors are closed |
N/A |
Yes |
Lighting |
||
Shall be equipped with lights arranged to illuminate all of the interior of the vehicle that is sufficient to permit the safe on-board movement of passengers |
Yes |
Yes |
Shall be equipped with lights above or beside each passenger access door that are shielded to protect the eyes of entering and exiting passengers |
Yes |
Yes |
Shall be equipped with lights above or beside each passenger access door that illuminate the ground surface for a distance of at least 0.9 metres perpendicular to the outer edge of a lift or the bottom step tread |
N/A |
Yes |
Visual and Audible Warning Indicators |
||
A vehicle manufactured on or after January 1, 2013, equipped with a power-operated loading ramp or power lift or that has a kneeling feature shall also be equipped with both a warning lamp indicator mounted on the exterior of the vehicle near the entrance where the ramp, lift or kneeling feature is used, and an audible warning alarm |
N/A |
Yes |
The indicator and alarm must function while,
|
N/A |
Yes |
Minimum Floor Space Dimensions for Wheelchairs |
||
Every designated wheelchair position in an accessible vehicle manufactured on or after January 1, 2013 shall,
|
N/A |
Yes |
