WRITTEN QUESTION No. 61/98 by Allan MACARTNEY to the Commission. Proposed EC directive on the construction of buses
Date: 1998-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, MACARTNEY
Subjects: EC Directive, bus, carriage of passengers, derogation from EU law, harmonisation of standards, proposal (EU), technical standard, transport accident, transport safety

C 223/98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

In the Community as a whole, some 90% of the methyl bromide is used for soil fumigation, 4% for commodity
fumigation,  3%  for  structural  fumigation  and  3%  as  a  feedstock  in  the  manufacture  of  other  products  and
chemicals.

(1)  OJ L 333, 22.12.1994.

(98/C 223/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0061/98

by Allan Macartney (ARE) to the Commission

(29 January 1998)

Subject: Proposed EC directive on the construction of buses

The draft directive on the construction of buses and coaches (Doc III/4076/90) as it presently stands could have a
significant impact on the operation of bus services in Scotland. There is a danger that the proposals to increase
longitudinal  space  between  seats,  seat  width,  gangway  width,  additional  service  doors,  space  and  access  for
wheelchairs and second staircases could result in a loss of seats available to passengers. This could lower safety
standards, forcing more passengers to stand. Has the Commission given this due consideration and assessed the
impact that an increased number of standing passengers could have on the risk of injury, as well as downgrading
the travelling environment in general? Has the Commission taken into account the extent of urban development
in the United Kingdom, which means that passengers typically make longer journeys than those on mainland
Europe?

Has the Commission examined statistics which show that around one-third of injuries on buses are sustained
whilst boarding or alighting and that, in the UK, there has been a downward trend from almost 50%, particularly
as a result of the reduction of the number of buses in use with centre doors where the driver does not have a clear
view of those boarding or alighting?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1998)

The proposal for a directive on technical provisions for buses and coaches (1) includes provisions concerning the
stability of the vehicle, the minimum size of seats and the spacing between seats, the number and arrangement of
the doors and emergency exits and other requirements on vehicle stability and the improvement of safety.

The  proposal  is  based  on  the  prescriptions  given  in  regulations  issued  by  the  United  Nations  Economic
commission for Europe. However, whenever necessary in order to ensure higher and achievable levels of safety
more  stringent  requirements  have  been  proposed.  Before  the  Commission  adopted  the  proposal,  there  were
discussions  at  great  length  with  the  Member  States,  industry,  non-governmental  organisations  and  other
interested parties.

In order to achieve the maximum degree of harmonisation consistent with the establishment of the single market,
while  at  the  same  time  acknowledging  that  in  specific  circumstances  it  may  not  be  possible  to  achieve  total
harmonisation in a single step, it was decided to introduce derogations from certain technical provisions, e.g. seat
width, door arrangements. In the case of the Member States which will not accept the derogation, harmonisation
will be total, while other Member States, at their own discretion, and within clearly defined and circumscribed
limits, can maintain their own system of transport and their own specifications for the construction of certain
vehicles. The United Kingdom is thus entitled through the derogations to maintain its own national legislation for
buses and coaches.

Furthermore, at present, no statistic evidence is at hand showing that buses and coaches fitted with centre doors
are less safe than buses and coaches without such doors. The Commission, however, is closely following the
developments in this area and will propose adequate measures when appropriate.

(1)  OJ C 17, 20.1.1998.