3450

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 87

unobstructed, and if a passenger-seat obstructs an emergency door that portion of the seat which would be likely to delay egress in emergency shall be readily removable. Nothing shall be carried likely to cause obstruction to the latter door from either inside or outside.

(4) Every doorway shall be provided with a suitable non-slip tread-plate.

(5) More than one emergency door may be provided in any passenger-service vehicle, in which case the foregoing provisions shall apply to all such emergency doors.

(6) A ready means of exit from the passenger-vehicle shall be at all times available for the driver, and shall not be obstructed by passengers or otherwise.

Driver’s Protection.

8. (1) In an omnibus there shall be no passenger-seat alongside the driver’s seat or with its centre nearer than 3 ft. to the steering-wheel rim or to any change-gear or brake-lever grip, unless the passenger-seat is divided from the driver’s seat by a permanent partition from the floor to a height of not less than 1 ft. 6 in. above the upper side of the driver’s seat (including padding) and when practicable not less than 1 ft. 6 in. of space on each side of the centre of the steering-wheel from the level of the driver’s shoulders to the floor shall be kept clear and unobstructed for the limbs of the driver, but portion of such space may be included in the passageway provided for by clause (3) of the last preceding regulation.

(2) In an omnibus at the front end thereof a conspicuous notice “ Do not converse with driver or stand alongside or forward of his seat ” shall at all times be displayed.

(3) In service-cars or service-coaches, the front seat shall, if two passengers are to be carried beside the driver, have not less than 4 ft. length when measured 6 in. above the level of the seat and 6 in. forward of the back squab.

(4) There shall not be any seat on the right-hand side of the driver’s seat in a right-hand control vehicle, or on his left-hand side if the vehicle has left-hand control.

(5) There shall be no avoidable obstruction of any nature whatsoever on the passenger-service vehicle which may interfere with the driver’s near or distant vision, whether in front or to the right or left. No passenger or person shall at any time be allowed to be in such a position on the passenger-service vehicle that he interferes with the driver’s vision as aforesaid. An efficient approved windscreen-wiper must be fitted to prevent interference with the driver’s vision through the front windscreen by rain or snow, and efficient approved means must be adopted to prevent interference with the driver’s vision through the front windscreen by the rays of the sun or otherwise howsoever.

(6) A mirror or mirrors shall be provided so that the driver may have a view of the interior of the passenger-service vehicle, and to enable him to be aware without turning his head of the existence or approach of any other vehicle on the rear right-hand side.

(7) To every omnibus when used for city suburban service also when manual signals cannot be readily and effectively given from the driver’s seat of any other passenger-service vehicle approved mechanical devices efficient by day and by night shall be fitted, to the Authorized Officer’s satisfaction, one near the front of the vehicle to indicate to road-users and controllers of traffic when it is about to turn towards the right or left and the other at the rear to warn any vehicle following when the passenger-service vehicle is about to stop, reduce speed, or change direction. They must be so fitted that when the former is operated, the latter is automatically illuminated to give its cautionary signal which may be in the form of an amber light. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other regulations, the device near the front may, if necessary, project outwards for a distance not exceeding 4 ft. 9 in. from the longitudinal centre-line of the passenger-service vehicle and measured at right angles to that centre-line.

If the device fitted near the front of the vehicle would, when indicating a full turn to the right, project more than 4 ft. from the longitudinal centre-line of the vehicle, it shall be fitted in such a position that it will be not less than 6 ft. 6 in. nor more than 7 ft. 6 in. above the roadway when the vehicle is fully laden. If a direction-indicator is also fitted to the rear of a passenger-service vehicle, it must be fitted towards the off side, not less than 3 ft. nor more than 4 ft. above the roadway when the vehicle is fully laden, and when in position to show a right angle turn, it shall not project beyond the outermost part of the entire body of the vehicle.

Liquid Fuel.

9. (1) The driver of a passenger-service vehicle shall not allow motor-spirits or other liquid fuel to be carried thereon otherwise than in the permanent fuel-supply tanks or in a specially fitted emergency fuel-supply tank.

(2) The said tanks shall be properly constructed of durable material, and shall be of ample strength for the purpose which they serve. They shall be so placed that any overflow shall not fall upon woodwork or be allowed to accumulate on the passenger-service vehicle, and the filling inlet for the fuel shall be brought without a detachable joint to the outside of the body of the passenger-service vehicle, and shall not be placed below, or laterally within 1 ft. of any doorway in general use, or within 2 ft. of the exhaust-pipe outlet.

(3) An aperture for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of liquid fuel may be provided in that portion of the tank which is within the body of the passenger-service vehicle. Such aperture shall, if so provided, be fitted with a securely screwed-in bushing, with a hole not exceeding 1 in. in diameter in the middle thereof, through which a metal depth-rod shall pass. Such rod shall be permanently and rigidly attached at its upper end to a metal screw-on cap which itself shall properly and securely close the said aperture, except for any necessary air-vent, while at the lower end of the rod there shall be provided a permanent stopper which will not pass through the said hole in the bushing, but will pass the tank-aperture when the bushing is removed therefrom. No person shall remove the bushing, save with the express approval of the Authorized Officer. The said aperture shall be so situated that it will at all times, when the passenger-service vehicle is in use, be at a higher level than the filling-inlet.

(4) The filling-inlet must be provided with a secure cap, and any person removing the cap must fit it tightly in position immediately after the purpose for which it was removed is fulfilled.

(5) A cock shall be provided in the main fuel-pipe line, and the control handle shall be visible and readily accessible at all times from outside the passenger-service vehicle, and it shall be periodically operated to avoid any delay in operating it in an emergency.

Brakes.

10. (1) Every passenger-service vehicle shall be fitted with brakes which comply with the requirements of the Motor-vehicle Regulations, 1933, and they shall be of a type approved by the Commissioner of Transport or shall themselves be subject to his approval in design, construction, performance, and dependability in service. The stopping-ability of the foot-brake of every passenger-service vehicle, measured as provided in Regulation 4 of the Motor-vehicle Regulations, 1933, when under official test by the Authorized Officer, shall be equivalent to or shall be considered by the Authorized Officer to be capable of being equivalent to 25 ft. for a four-wheel-braking system, or to 35 ft. for a two-wheel-braking system. The stopping-ability of the hand-brake of every passenger-service vehicle measured as provided in Regulation 4 of the Motor-vehicle Regulations, 1933, shall be equivalent to such distance as the Authorized Officer may consider satisfactory, having regard to the type, design, or condition of such brake, but in no case shall the stopping-ability be considered satisfactory if when under official test by the Authorized Officer it exceeds a distance of 60 ft.

(2) Any passenger-service vehicle-brake which simultaneously applies the braking-pressure on two wheels or drums with a common axis shall be so adjusted or fitted that the braking effect is approximately the same on each road wheel.

(3) For the purpose of testing the brakes, the passenger-service vehicle shall, if the Authorized Officer in special circumstances so desires, be presented with a load that is distributed as would be the case when passengers, their belongings, and freight (if any) were aboard.

Alterations in Passenger-service Vehicle or Route.

11. (1) If the owner of a passenger-service vehicle which is restricted by the certificate of fitness or permit to specific routes desires to carry passengers in that passenger-service vehicle over any route different in whole or in part from the said routes, the written approval of the Authorized Officer shall first be obtained.

(2) Save for minor necessary maintenance requirements, no alteration shall be made in the design or construction of a passenger-service vehicle without the prior written approval of the Authorized Officer, nor shall any bulky equipment or fittings be added without such approval being obtained. Any such alterations or any substantial replacements shall comply so far as is considered reasonable by the Authorized Officer with any relative requirements of these regulations, whether contained in Part I or in Part II hereof.

Fire-extinguishers.

12. (1) Every passenger-service vehicle shall be provided with at least one fire-extinguisher. Such appliance shall be of a type approved by the Fire Underwriters’ Association as suitable for motor-vehicle service, and must at all times be effectively maintained by the owner of the passenger-service