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Make
requirements relating to the design and operation of school buses;
to |
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make provision about road
safety training for drivers and users of school |
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buses; to establish a school
bus safety council; and for connected purposes. |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled, and
by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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1 |
School
buses: regulations |
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(1) |
The Secretary of State shall
make regulations relating to the design, |
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construction and operation
of school buses. |
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(2) |
For the purposes of this
Act, a “school bus” means a vehicle constructed or
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adapted to carry 12 or more
passengers and being contracted to carry persons |
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(3) |
Regulations made under subsection
(1)— |
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(a) |
shall provide that buses must— |
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(ii) |
be fitted with three point
safety belts on every seat, |
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(iii) |
be fitted with large external
“stop” signs which must be |
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activated when the bus
is stationary at bus stops, |
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(iv) |
be brightly and distinctly
coloured, and |
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(v) |
display prominently on
the interior and exterior notices |
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containing safety advice
for drivers, passengers and other road |
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(b) |
may make other provision
about the design, construction, |
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specifications and operation
of school buses. |
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(4) |
A statutory instrument containing
regulations made under subsection (1) may |
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not be made unless a draft
of the instrument has been laid before, and |
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approved by a resolution
of, each House of Parliament. |
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(5) |
A person who contravenes
or fails to comply with any requirement of |
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regulations made under subsection
(1) is guilty of an offence. |
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(6) |
A
person committing an offence under this section shall be liable
upon |
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summary conviction to a fine
not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. |
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2 |
Offence
of dangerous driving |
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(1) |
The Road
Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) is amended as follows. |
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(2) |
In section 2A, there is inserted
after subsection (2)— |
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“(2A) |
A person is also to be
regarded as driving dangerously for the purposes |
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of
sections 1 and 2 above if he overtakes a school bus while it is
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stationary
at a bus stop and its stop sign is displayed.” |
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(1) |
Any school that uses a school
bus to transport children to or from school must |
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provide appropriate safety
training to all children using the service. |
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(2) |
Such training shall include
guidance on conduct whilst— |
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(a) |
boarding and alighting, and |
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(3) |
In section 99ZB of the Road
Traffic Act 1988 (requirements to complete training |
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courses) there is inserted
after subsection (5)— |
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“(5A) |
Regulations under section
99ZA of this Act may provide that a school |
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bus
training course must be undertaken before any person may drive
a |
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school
bus, as defined in section 1 of the School Bus (Safety) Act 2009
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(school
buses: regulations).” |
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(1) |
The Secretary of State shall,
in each calendar year following the year in which |
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this Act is passed, lay before
Parliament a report on the operation of this Act. |
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(2) |
A report under subsection
(1) must include— |
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(a) |
statistics on the number of
accidents involving school buses, |
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(b) |
information on the causes
of such accidents, and |
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(c) |
statistics on the number of— |
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injured and killed in such
accidents. |
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5 |
School
Bus Safety Council |
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(1) |
There shall be a School
Bus Safety Council (“the Council”) to monitor and
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report on the effects of
this Act. |
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(2) |
The Council shall consist
of a Chairman and no more than five other members |
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appointed by the Secretary
of State and including a representative of the |
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Confederation of Passenger
Transport. |
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(3) |
The Council may take evidence
from such persons as it considers appropriate. |
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(4) |
The
Council may report to the Secretary of State from time to time
and may |
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make recommendations for
amendments to this Act or to any regulations |
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relating to school bus safety
made under this or any other Act. |
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(5) |
The
Secretary of State may make payments to members of the Council
in respect of |
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expenses
incurred by them in the performance of their duties. |
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(6) |
The
Secretary of State may defray any other expenses of the Panel. |
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There
shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament— |
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(a) |
any
sums to be paid by the Secretary of State for or in connection
with the |
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carrying
out of his functions under this Act; and |
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(b) |
any
increase attributable to this Act in the sums which are payable
out of |
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money
so provided under any other Act. |
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7 |
Short
title, commencement and extent |
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(1) |
This Act may be cited as
the School Bus (Safety) Act 2009. |
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(2) |
This Act shall come into
force on such day as the Secretary of State shall by |
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(3) |
This Act extends to England
and Wales and Scotland. |
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