Hong Kong Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 73

Passenger seats

(Past version on 01/08/2004).
(Past version on 30/06/1997).

(1) In every bus and light bus-

   (a)  the supports of all seats shall be secured to the body of the vehicle;

   (b)  a width of at least 380 millimetres, and in the case of a
        public light bus registered on or after 1 August 2004, a width of at
        least 450 millimetres, measured horizontally along the back of each
        seat shall be allowed for the accommodation of a seated passenger:
        (L.N. 147 of 2002; L.N. 152 of 2007) Provided that in the case of a
        continuous seat fitted with arms for the purpose of separating the
        seating spaces, being arms so constructed that they can be folded back
        or otherwise put out of use, the seat shall be measured for the
        purposes of this sub-paragraph as though it were not fitted with arms;

   (c)  every seat shall have a back rest so closed or otherwise constructed
        as to prevent, as far as reasonably practicable, the pockets or other
        personal belongings of passengers from being picked or subject to
        theft;

   (d)  all seats shall be so fitted-

        (i)    that the distance between any part of the back rest of any seat
               placed lengthwise and the corresponding part of the back rest
               of the seat facing it shall be not less than 1.38 metres;

        (ii)   that there is a clear space of at least 650 millimetres in
               front of the back rest of any seat measured from the centre of
               each complete length of the seat allowed for the accommodation
               of a seated passenger in accordance with sub-paragraph (b) and
               a clear space of 230 millimetres in front of any part of that
               seat: Provided that in the case of a seat for more than 3
               passengers where access to that seat can be obtained only from
               one end of the seat, the clear spaces shall respectively be at
               least 680 millimetres and 300 millimetres;

   (e)  there shall be a clear space of at least 480 millimetres between any
        part of the front edge of any transverse seat and any part of any
        other seat which faces it;

   (f)  for the purposes of sub-paragraph (e), any support provided for a
        table shall be disregarded if there is a clear space of at least 230
        millimetres between that support and the front edge of the nearest
        seat and the support is not in such a position as to cause discomfort
        to passengers occupying the seats;

   (g)  no seat shall be placed in such a position as to cause discomfort to
        passengers;

   (h)  there shall, in respect of every seat, be a clear space measured
        vertically from the centre of each complete length of the seat allowed
        for the accommodation of a seated passenger in accordance with
        sub-paragraph (b) which shall be, in the case of a light bus not less
        than 910 millimetres and, in the case of a bus, not less than 960
        millimetres;

   (i)  where any seat is so placed that there is a risk that a
        passenger seated upon it may be thrown through any entrance to or exit
        from the vehicle or down a stairway in the vehicle, an effective
        screen or guard shall be placed so as to afford adequate protection
        against that occurrence to a passenger occupying that seat; and

   (j)  the shortest distances between the edge of the well of any step in the
        vehicle and a vertical plane passing through the front edge of any
        seat shall be not less than 230 millimetres: Provided that this
        sub-paragraph shall not apply in the case of the well of a step
        provided as a means of obtaining access only to any forward-facing
        front passenger seat placed alongside the driver in a light bus.

(1A) In every public light bus registered on or after 1 August 2004- (L.N. 152
of 2007)

   (a)  every seat shall have a back rest of not less than 700 millimetres in
        height and if a back rest exceeds 800 millimetres in height, the seat
        concerned shall also be equipped with a head restraint;

   (b)  where a retractable belt is fitted to the seat concerned, the surface
        or edge of any guard, or the top or edge of any screen or partition,
        that would likely to be struck by the head of a passenger wearing the
        retractable belt in the event of an accident, shall be provided with
        padding of impact energy absorption material, but nothing in this
        subparagraph shall require padding to be provided on any surface more
        than 1000 millimetres from the intersection of the centre lines of the
        seat cushion and the back rest or more than 150 millimetres on either
        side of the longitudinal vertical plane which passes through the
        intersection;

   (c)  all seats and their anchorages shall conform with one or more of the
        specifications and standards set out in Part 1 of Schedule 15;

   (d)  all head restraints shall conform with one or more of the
        specifications and standards set out in Part 2 of Schedule 15;

   (e)  the seats and head restraints-

        (i)    shall not have sharp edges which may increase the risk or
               severity of injury to seated passengers in traffic accidents;
               and

        (ii)   shall be made of impact energy absorption material and fire
               resistant material; and

   (f)  the accessories attached to the seats and head restraints shall not
        have sharp edges which may increase the risk or severity of injury to
        seated passengers in traffic accidents and shall be made of impact
        energy absorption material. (L.N. 147 of 2002)

(1B) For the purposes of paragraph (1A)(a), all measurements for determining
the height of back rest shall be taken, with the seat cushion and back rest
undepressed, through the centre line of the individual seating place and
measured from the horizontal surface of the seat cushion intersected at the
front lower edge of the back rest to the front upper edge of the back rest.
(L.N. 147 of 2002)

(2) In this regulation-

"back rest" (靠背) includes any part of the vehicle which is available for
seated passengers to lean against;

"seat" (座位) means a passenger seat.

"back rest" (靠背)

"seat" (座位)