Legislation

There are a number of pieces of legislation stemming from Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 relating to buses and coaches and these are listed below in chronological order. Where available electronically, links to an appropriate web site have been included below. Hard copies of all Acts of Parliament and regulations are available from The Stationery Office.

Buses and Coaches

Special Authorisations

Under Section 43 of the DDA 1995 the Secretary of State may authorise, by means of a special authorisation order, the use of a regulated public service vehicle which does not comply with accessibility regulations. It is important to note that a vehicle which does not meet all of the requirements of the accessibility regulations cannot be issued with an accessibility certificate.

Before a special authorisation order is issued it will normally be necessary for a full accessibility inspection to be carried out. A vehicle will have to comply fully with accessibility regulations apart from those items for which a special authorisation is granted.

Detailed guidance on applying for special authorisation orders has been produced. Manufacturers and operators are advised to read this before submitting an application for a special authorisation order.

'Conduct' Regulations

Related Legislation

Regulatory Impact Assessments

A regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is a tool used to help policy makers assess the impacts of policy options in terms of costs, benefits and risks of a proposal. The Cabinet Office has published guidance to help departments ensure that they are exercising their statutory powers in a responsible manner.

An RIA on the proposals for implementing accessibility regulations for buses and coaches.

Related information on other web sites:

For related documents, pages and internet links, see the column on the right.