Under-vehicle inspection and semi-annual inspection requirements
Learn about the under-vehicle inspection requirements for motorcoaches and the semi-annual inspection requirements for buses, school vehicles and accessible vehicles. These came into effect in 2018.
Overview
As of July 1, 2018, an under-vehicle inspection required under Part III of Regulation 199/07 will be required every 30 days or 12,000 km, whichever occurs last. Beginning January 1, 2019, the current annual and semi-annual inspection regime for buses, school purposes vehicles and accessible vehicles will be replaced with a full inspection every six months.
What is changing?
Regulation 199/07 (Commercial Vehicle Inspections)
Regulation 611 (Safety Inspections)
Regulation 199/07 (Commercial Vehicle Inspections)
Motor coach: Under-vehicle inspections
As of July 1, 2018, an under-vehicle inspection required under Part III of Regulation 199/07 will be required every 30 days or 12,000 km, whichever occurs last.
Housekeeping amendments
The following housekeeping amendments have been made to Regulation 199/07 to clarify requirements, update notes and align with National Safety Code Standard 13 (Trip Inspection).
- Clarify that as part of the recordkeeping requirements outlined in Part V, operators must keep copies of safety standards certificates, annual inspection certificates and semi-annual inspection certificates for each commercial motor vehicle, trailer and trailer converter dolly.
- Update Note 16 to the Schedules in Part VI to correct a reference and clarify that view requirements for windshield and windows are in section 74 of the Act and in section 1 of Schedule 7 of Regulation 199/07.
- Update the criteria in Column 3 (Major Defect) of Part 20 (Suspension System) of Schedule 1 to clarify that more than one broken spring leaf in any spring assembly is a major defect.
- Update the criteria in Column 2 (Defect) of Part 1 (Air Brake System) of Schedule 4 to remove reference to ‘clearance between a brake caliper piston and the disc pad backing plate exceeds manufacturer’s specified limit’ as this defect is not included in the national standard.
Regulation 611 (Safety Inspections) – Bus, School Purpose Vehicle, Accessible Vehicle
Semi-annual inspections
Beginning January 1, 2019, the current annual and semi-annual inspection regime for buses, school purposes vehicles and accessible vehicles will be replaced with a full inspection every six months.
A full inspection will be required every six months. However, as long as the inspection of internal brake components are properly documented by the technician at a full inspection, the next scheduled inspection will allow for a Limited Brake Inspection (LBI).
What is a Limited Brake Inspection (LBI)?
Completing an inspection using the provisions of a LBI means that the inspection is considered complete without having to inspect internal brake components as long as there is no evidence of any brake defects.
In order to use the provisions of a LBI, inspection of internal brake components conducted at the previous full inspection (within the previous seven months) must be documented in a Proof of Brake Inspection Report as outlined in National Safety Code (NSC) Standard 11B (dated October 2014), Section 3, Part C titled Documents Required For Qualifying A Prior Inspection of Internal Brake Components
on page 78.
Further to this, beginning January 1, 2017, any documented inspection of the internal brake components conducted in the previous seven months will allow the technician to use the provisions of a LBI during a required inspection. For example, if a brake repair was required within the previous seven months, and the brake repair was properly documented in a Proof of Brake Inspection Report, the brake repair qualifies for a LBI at the next scheduled semi-annual inspection.
In the coming months, technicians are encouraged to begin using Proof of Brake Inspection Reports, so that they can begin using the LBI provision during semi-annual inspections beginning on January 1, 2019.
Please note: Although NSC 11B Section 3, Part A titled Options for Inspecting Internal Brake Components of Hydraulic and Air Brake Systems
on page 74 requires a measurement of one shoe lining for a limited-inspection of a drum brake, and a measurement of one brake pad for a limited-inspection of a disc brake, these measurements will not be required in Ontario.
Schedule 3 of Regulation 611 will be updated to include this modification and clarify that only an inspection through the inspection holes will be required for limited- inspection of drum and disc brakes.
Semi-annual inspection stickers
As a result of the change to a full inspection every six months, there will no longer be a need to use the current two-sticker (yellow annual and orange semi-annual) process for buses, school purposes vehicles and accessible vehicles. A single orange sticker every six months will demonstrate that the vehicle has passed an inspection.
Beginning January 1, 2019, only orange semi-annual stickers should be applied to buses, school purposes vehicles and accessible vehicles. Yellow annual inspection stickers will continue to be used for commercial vehicles, trailers and trailer converter dollies.
Please note: A bus, school purposes vehicle or accessible vehicle displaying a yellow inspection sticker or a combination of yellow and orange stickers issued before January 1, 2019 will be considered to be compliant until the end of the validation period. Orange semi-annual inspection stickers should be used exclusively for any inspection conducted on or after January 1, 2019.
Motor Vehicle Inspection Stations (MVIS) should continue to use existing stock. Existing semi-annual inspection stickers issued by an MVIS after January 1, 2019 will continue to be valid despite the text that reads only valid when accompanied by annual inspection sticker
. Existing stickers will be depleted over time, eventually transitioning to new stickers as inspection stations order new stock.
Questions?
Contact cvor@ontario.ca or