Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 14 - Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway by Vehicles. Gasoline › 275c - Minimum Requirements for Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of School Buses and Student Transportation Vehicles › Motor Vehicles used to Transport Special Education Students › Section 14-275c-31 - Special devices

Current through July 10, 2024
If any motor vehicle, including a school bus, used to
				  transport special education children, is equipped with any of the special
				  devices described below, such device or devices shall meet or exceed the
				  requirements established herein:
(a)
Lifts.
If a power or manually operated lift is provided, it shall
				be capable of reliably and safely raising and lowering a wheelchair and added
				ballast having a combined weight of no less than six hundred (600) pounds. The
				lift platform shall have a minimum usable width of not less than thirty (30)
				inches and a minimum usable length of not less than forty-two (42) inches
				except that the commissioner may approve a lift having a minimum usable width
				of not less than twenty-six (26) inches and a minimum usable length of not less
				than thirty-six (36) inches if he/she determines that such lift is adequate for
				the service which will be performed by the vehicle on which it is installed.
				The lift platform shall be constructed or covered in a manner to provide
				protection against slipping and skidding of personnel and wheelchairs. The lift
				platform shall be equipped with protective curbing on each side in the passage
				direction no less than one (1.0) inch in height above the platform surface. The
				platform surface between the curbing shall be unencumbered with wiring, tubing,
				switches or other material. The ramp slope in the passage direction shall not
				exceed ten degrees (10.0°) (17.6%) in any lift position when loaded with
				wheelchair and occupant. A self-adjusting steel or equivalent ramp transition
				plate shall be provided to allow smooth wheelchair passage from ground level
				onto the lowered lift platform; the transition plate shall raise to a position
				perpendicular to the platform plus or minus twenty degrees (±20°)
				and latch to provide a roll off barrier for the wheelchair. A power-operated
				lift shall be capable of being opened and lowered at least one time in the
				event of power loss to the lift. All electrical controls and wiring shall be
				weather proof. The electrical system of the vehicle shall be capable of
				supporting the electrical requirements of the lift without reducing the
				electrical demands of the vehicle.
(b)
Ramps.
If a ramp is provided
				it shall be capable of supporting a minimum total weight of six hundred pounds
				(600 lbs). It shall be equipped with protective flanges on each longitudinal
				side sufficient in height to prevent a wheelchair from accidentally falling off
				the side of the ramp. The ramp surface shall be composed of or covered with a
				non-skid material. The ramp shall be of a weight that would permit the driver
				to set it in place and return it to its storage compartment. When the ramp is
				in use, it shall be securely fastened to the side of the vehicle to prevent
				accidental detachment. The ramp shall be connected to the vehicle floor level
				in such a manner to permit easy access for wheelchairs. The ramp shall be of
				sufficient length so that the slope shall not exceed thirty degrees (30°).
				If the ramp is to be stored under the vehicle chassis, the ramp shall be
				provided with a dust-proof, waterproof compartment. When the ramp is in the
				storage position, it shall be secured to prevent it from becoming accidentally
				dislodged while the vehicle is in motion.
(c)
Special seating
. Special
				seating arrangements may be provided for vehicles transporting handicapped
				children, and shall be appropriate to the needs of those being transported.
				Such seating arrangements must be approved by the commissioner of motor
				vehicles. Each handicapped child shall be provided a minimum of fifteen inches
				(15") of seating width and a minimum of twelve inches (12") fore and aft. Each
				seat shall be fully padded on the seating surface. Where a seat back is so
				situated that it is in front of another seat, padding shall be affixed to the
				uppermost part and the top rear edge of the seat back. Each handicapped child
				shall be provided with a seat restraint system that will adequately restrain
				the individual without causing physical injury.
(d)
Wheelchair anchorages.
For
				those special education children confined to a wheelchair, a restraint system
				shall be provided for the occupant of the wheelchair which will effectively
				maintain his or her position in the wheelchair, and a restraint system shall be
				provided which will effectively maintain the position of the wheelchair within
				its designated position in the vehicle.
(e)
Special service doors.
These
				doors may be of the hinged swing type or sliding-type single door with a
				minimum clear opening of forty-five inches (45") in width and forty-six inches
				(46") in height.