Hong Kong Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 71

Width of gangways

(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, in every bus and light bus-

   (a)  the width of every gangway shall be not less than-

        (i)    300 millimetres up to a height of 750 millimetres above the
               level of the deck of the vehicle;

        (ii)   350 millimetres at heights exceeding 750 millimetres but not
               exceeding 1200 millimetres above the level of the deck of the
               vehicle; and

        (iii)  460 millimetres at heights exceeding 1200 millimetres above the
               level of the deck of the vehicle; and

   (b)  a vertical line projected upwards from the centre line of any gangway
        at deck level shall, to the height prescribed in regulation 72 as the
        height of that gangway, be laterally not less than 150 millimetres
        from any part of the vehicle other than the roof above the gangway.

(2) No part of any gangway in a bus, which is within 900 millimetres of an
entrance or exit (other than an emergency exit) to which it provides access,
shall be less than 530 millimetres in width.

(3) No part of any gangway in a double-decked bus, which serves as a joint
means of access from any entrance to both the upper and lower decks, or to
that exit (other than an emergency exit) which is most readily and directly
associated with any staircase from both the upper and lower decks, shall be
less than 900 millimetres in width.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, when any space in front of a seat in
a bus is required for the accommodation of seated passengers, the space within
230 millimetres of the seat shall not be taken into account in measuring the
width of a gangway.

(5) Where a part of a gangway which adjoins an entrance or exit of a bus or
light bus is divided by a handrail, the width of that part of the gangway at
any point on each side of the handrail shall be not less than 460 millimetres.

(6) Where 2 passenger seats are placed parallel to the longitudinal axis of a
bus or light bus and face each other and the space between those seats is not
required for the purpose of obtaining access from an entrance to any other
seat or from any other seat to an exit (not being an emergency exit), that
space shall not for the purposes of this regulation and regulation 72 be
treated as forming part of the gangway.
In this paragraph "passenger seat" (乘客座位) means a seat for one
passenger only or the portion of a continuous seat allowed for one passenger
only measured in accordance with regulation 73(1)(b).

(7) Subject to paragraph (6), between every exit (not being an emergency exit
provided in the roof of a half-decked bus) and gangway of a bus or light bus
there shall be a passage which shall-

   (a)  be of dimensions not less than those prescribed for a gangway in
        paragraph (1)(a);

   (b)  be so designed that a vertical line projected upwards from the centre
        line of the passage at deck level to a height of 750 millimetres from
        the level of the deck is laterally not less than 150 millimetres from
        any part of the vehicle (excluding any cowling or cover which projects
        not more than 230 millimetres from the bulkhead of the vehicle into
        the passage at deck level and not more than 230 millimetres above the
        deck level and the provision of which is required by the projection of
        part of the chassis or mechanism of the vehicle into the body); and

   (c)  subject to paragraph (8)(b), have a clear height at every point along
        the centre line of the passage of 1.5 metres from the deck level.

(8) (a) For the purposes of paragraph (7)(a) and (b), a seat placed below or
in front of an emergency exit, being such an exit provided on the upper deck
of a double-decked bus or in the roof of a half-decked  bus or which is a
secondary emergency exit, shall be deemed to form part of such a passage; and

   (b)  paragraph (7)(c) shall not apply in the case of a passage in a bus
        leading to an emergency exit, being such an exit provided on the upper
        deck of a double-decked bus or in the roof of a half-decked bus or
        which is a secondary emergency exit, nor shall it apply in the case of
        a light bus.

"passenger seat" (乘客座位)