Do not make adjustments that may reduce roadworthiness of your vehicle!

Question:

Hi, I have a query about safety in buses and I’;m not quite sure where to find the information. We have a bus service where I work with free transportation and the buses have 2 doors – one at the front and one at the back.

This year, the doors at the back have been bolted shut which restricts incoming and outgoing passengers to the door at the front. Although the buses are all fitted with emergency exits through the back window, I’;m concerned about the modifications done to the buses given that they seem to be more about restricting passenger movements and are not how the buses were designed.

Are they able to just bolt them shut without affecting the road-worthiness given that the buses were built with 2 doors?

Answer:

With reference to your enquiry I wish to advise that an operator is not allowed to bolt a door. Doors are also regarded as emergency exits. A roadworthy certificate should not be issued to the operator if one of the doors is bolted. If a door is not in a “working condition” the vehicle is regarded as not being roadworthy.

Kind regards

Eric Cornelius

Executive Manager

SABOA

;

Do not make adjustments that may reduce roadworthiness of your vehicle!