Carriage of passengers: vehicles comprising more than 8 seats or maximum length 15m (amend. direct. 70/156/EEC)

The committee approved (rapporteur : Simon Murphy - PSE,UK)the Commission proposal on technical specifications for buses subject to more than 90 amendments . Amendments, broadly fall into three distinctive groups: -The first group seek to improve the accessibility to buses and coaches for disabled passengers, notably be extending the proposal's mandatory provisions on accessibility to include not only Class I (mostly used in cities), but also Class II vehicles (primarily used for intercity traffic). -Second, a number of amendments seek to strengthen the safety requirements in a number of ways, both as concerns the technical specifications, but also by introducing rules concerning the safety of the driver and crew. -Third, a number of technical amendments seeking to clarify the original proposal.