Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (SOR/2019-244)

Marginal note:Designated relief areas

• 178 (1) A ferry on which passengers are travelling for four consecutive hours or more must have a designated area for service dogs to relieve themselves that a person with a disability may reach by means of a path of travel that is accessible to persons with disabilities and that is

  • (a) identified by tactile and Braille signage; and

  • (b) cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.

• Marginal note:Signage

  (2) The ferry must have signage that indicates the direction to follow in order to access a designated relief area.

Marginal note:Elevator

179 A ferry that has more than one deck must have at least one elevator that

• (a) provides service from a vehicle deck to all passenger decks, except to a deck that does not have a housing to protect the elevator from the weather; and

• (b) meets the requirements set out in clause 5.6.1 of CSA B651-18.

Marginal note:Non-operational elevator

180 Each elevator on a ferry must have signage that warns passengers that the elevator may not be operational when the ferry’s roll exceeds the safe operating criteria established by the manufacturer of the elevator.

Marginal note:Alarm system

181 If a ferry is equipped with an alarm system, including in a cabin, the alarm system must provide both a visual alarm and an audible alarm. A visual alarm must meet the requirements set out in clause 5.7.1 of CSA B651-18.

Marginal note:Maintenance

• 182 (1) A ferry and any related facilities, including any amenities and equipment used in them, that are subject to any requirements of this Division must be in good working order and properly maintained.

• Marginal note:Repairs

  (2) If any facilities, amenities or equipment that are referred to in subsection (1) are not in good working order, they must be repaired as soon as possible and, until they are repaired, measures must be taken that will result in a substantially equivalent or greater level of accessibility for persons with disabilities.

DIVISION 4Bus Carriers

Application

Marginal note:Bus carriers

183 Unless otherwise specified, this Division applies to every bus carrier that provides a service for the transportation of passengers between two or more provinces and from a point of origin in Canada to a point of destination in a foreign country.

Marginal note:Non-application — certain buses

184 This Division does not apply to a bus carrier in respect of any of the following buses:

• (a) any bus that has a maximum carrying capacity of not more than 39 passengers;

• (b) any bus while it is being used in a charter service.

Marginal note:Pre-existing buses

• 185 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), the provisions of this Division, except sections 199 and 205, do not apply to a pre-existing bus.

• Marginal note:Clarification — portable equipment

  (2) Sections 188 and 189 apply to a pre-existing bus with respect to any lift, ramp or bridge plate that is portable and not integrated with the pre-existing bus.

• Marginal note:Modifications

  (3) If a carrier makes a modification — other than a modification to a mechanical, electrical or plumbing system or a modification carried out for an aesthetic purpose or for maintenance or repair — to any amenity or equipment that is used in a pre-existing bus, the carrier must ensure that the modified amenity or equipment meets the requirements of this Division, except in the following circumstances:

  • (a) the dimensions of the bus or of the amenity or equipment are unalterable;

  • (b) the structural integrity or safe operation of the bus or of the amenity or equipment would be materially affected; or

  • (c) the principal purpose of the amenity or equipment would be fundamentally altered.

• Marginal note:Definition of pre-existing bus

  (4) In this section, a pre-existing bus means a bus that was

  • (a) purchased or leased by the carrier before the day on which this section comes into force; or

  • (b) purchased or leased by the carrier on or after the day on which this section comes into force, if the carrier submitted the call for tenders in respect of that bus before that day.

Marginal note:Non-application — temporary leases

186 This Division does not apply in respect of a bus that is leased by a carrier on a short-term basis in order to respond to an emergency or to replace a bus that requires repairs due to an unforeseen mechanical failure.

Technical Requirements

Marginal note:Duty of carrier

187 A carrier must ensure that any bus that it owns, operates or leases and any related facilities, including any amenities and equipment used in them, meet the requirements set out in this Division.

Marginal note:Lift

188 A lift that is used to assist a person with a disability, including a person in a mobility aid, to board or disembark from a bus must

• (a) have handrails that are located on both sides of the lift and a slip-resistant surface; and

• (b) be capable of supporting a minimum weight of 272 kg.

Marginal note:Ramp or bridge plate

189 A ramp or bridge plate that is used to assist a person with a disability, including a person in a mobility aid, to board or disembark from a bus must

• (a) have a contrasting colour strip that runs the full width of its bottom edge;

• (b) have raised edges to prevent a mobility aid from rolling off the edge of the ramp;

• (c) have a slip-resistant surface; and

• (d) be capable of supporting a minimum weight of 272 kg.

Marginal note:No level boarding

190 If a bus terminal does not permit level boarding of a bus and there is no lift, ramp or bridge plate available at the bus terminal, the bus must be equipped with a lift, ramp or bridge plate.

Marginal note:Other stops

191 If a bus makes a stop at any place that is not at a terminal and where passengers are permitted to board and disembark, the bus must be equipped with a lift, ramp or bridge plate.

Marginal note:Stairs

192 Any stairs that are used to board or disembark from a bus, and any interior stairs on a bus, must

• (a) meet the requirements set out in clauses 5.4.1 and 5.4.2 of CSA B651-18;

• (b) have handrails that

  • (i) are located on both sides of the stairs,

  • (ii) are located at a uniform height of 860 mm to 920 mm, measured vertically from the leading edge of the tread, and

  • (iii) meet the requirements set out in clause 5.3.1 of CSA B651-18;

• (c) have tactile attention indicator surfaces that

  • (i) meet the requirements set out in clauses 4.3.5.2(a) and (b), 4.3.5.3.1 and 4.3.5.3.4 of CSA B651-18,

  • (ii) are located at the top of the stairs, and

  • (iii) commence one tread length before the top of the stairs, extend the full width of the stairs and measure from 600 mm to 650 mm in length; and

• (d) be equipped with lighting that accentuates the steps and handrails.

Marginal note:Passenger seats

193 Passenger seats on a bus must be equipped with

• (a) movable armrests on all aisle and middle passenger seats;

• (b) handholds on the back of all aisle passenger seats; and

• (c) if there are call buttons, call buttons that are

  • (i) tactilely discernible and colour-contrasted with their background, and

  • (ii) operable using minimal force.

Marginal note:Tactile row markers

194 A bus must be equipped with tactile row markers, in raised characters and Braille, that are installed, either permanently or temporarily, on the sides of passenger seats and above the armrests or adjacent to the mechanisms for opening overhead bins.

Marginal note:Priority seats for persons with disabilities

195 The first row of passenger seats on each side of a bus must be designated as priority seats for persons with disabilities and there must be signage that indicates that a person, other than a person with a disability, must vacate a priority seat if the seat is needed by a person with a disability.

Marginal note:Mobility aid space

196 A mobility aid space on a bus must have a clear floor area of at least 1,220 mm by 760 mm.

Marginal note:Mandatory mobility aid space

197 A bus must have at least two mobility aid spaces.

Marginal note:Storage of mobility aid

198 A bus must have a baggage compartment that allows for the storage of at least two mobility aids, each of which weighing no more than 227 kg and having a width of no more than 1,092 mm, a height of not more than 736 mm (with the seat and steering column collapsed) and a length of not more than 2,260.6 mm.

Marginal note:Passenger safety features cards

199 A bus that has any passenger safety features cards available on board must have

• (a) at least two passenger safety features cards that are in large print and at least two passenger safety features cards that are in Braille; or

• (b) at least one electronic device that provides passenger safety information in an audio and visual format and permits a person with a disability to adjust the volume of the audio output and the size of the font.

Marginal note:Window emergency exits

200 If a bus is equipped with a window emergency exit, the window emergency exit must be identified by a contrasting colour strip around the perimeter and by tactile and Braille signage.

Marginal note:Standard washroom

201 A washroom on a bus, other than a wheelchair-accessible washroom, must have

• (a) doors that are equipped with handles, pulls, latches, locks and other devices that are operable using minimal force, with one hand in a closed-fist position, or by another method of operation that does not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist ;

• (b) toilets that

  • (i) are equipped with an automated flush control or a flush control that is operable using minimal force, with one hand in a closed-fist position, or by another method of operation that does not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and

  • (ii) have a back support if the toilet has no seat lid;

• (c) faucets that are equipped with

  • (i) handles or other controls that are tactilely discernible, unless the water temperature is fixed to eliminate the risk of scalding,

  • (ii) in the case of non-automated faucets, handles or other controls that are operable using minimal force, with one hand in a closed-fist position, or by another method of operation that does not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and

  • (iii) in the case of automated faucets, a water activation motion sensor that turns the water on automatically when a hand is below the faucet;

• (d) grab bars that

  • (i) are located on a wall beside the toilet,

  • (ii) are rounded, slip-resistant and free of any sharp or abrasive elements,

  • (iii) have an exterior diameter and a clearance from the wall surface to which they are attached that permit them to be easily grasped, and

  • (iv) are capable of supporting a minimum weight of 113.4 kg;

• (e) toilet paper dispensers that are located so as to not interfere with the use of the grab bars;

• (f) soap dispensers that are operable using minimal force, with one hand in a closed-fist position, or by another method of operation that does not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist; and

• (g) at least one call button or other device for signalling an emergency that

  • (i) is colour-contrasted with its background and identified by tactile and Braille signage, and

  • (ii) is operable using minimal force.

Marginal note:Wheelchair-accessible washroom

202 A wheelchair-accessible washroom on a bus must meet the requirements set out in section 201 and must

• (a) have a door or other opening to the washroom that has sufficient space in front of it and that is wide enough to allow the entry of a person using a wheelchair;

• (b) have sufficient space to allow a person, with assistance, to transfer to and from a wheelchair and the toilet;

• (c) have sufficient privacy, including with the use of retractable curtains or walls, to allow a support person or service dog to remain in the washroom with a person using a wheelchair; and

• (d) be equipped with faucets that are positioned to be easily usable by a person using a wheelchair.

Marginal note:Mandatory wheelchair-accessible washroom

203 Every washroom on a bus must be a wheelchair-accessible washroom, unless the washroom does not have

• (a) a door or other opening to the washroom that has sufficient space in front of it and that is wide enough to allow the entry of a person using a wheelchair; and

• (b) sufficient space to allow a person, with assistance, to transfer to and from a wheelchair and the toilet.

Marginal note:On-board entertainment system

204 An on-board entertainment system on a bus must be equipped to permit a person with a disability to

• (a) access entertainment content that offers closed captioning and audio description and that is the same entertainment content that is offered to the other passengers or, if that is not possible, that is comparable entertainment content; and

• (b) start, stop and pause the entertainment content, turn on and off the closed captioning and audio description functions, change the language of choice, control the volume and select channels

  • (i) through an interface that meets the requirements for an interface that are set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or

  • (ii) if the interface has not been designed to be used with the on-board entertainment system, through a tactile template overlay affixed to the interface.

Marginal note:Pre-existing bus

• 205 (1) If a pre-existing bus referred to in subsection 185(4) has an on-board entertainment system that does not offer closed captioning and audio description, the bus must be equipped with personal electronic devices in a number that is sufficient to accommodate the number of persons with disabilities who have made a request for such a device.

• Marginal note:Personal electronic devices

  (2) The personal electronic devices must be pre-loaded with — or the bus must provide wireless streaming of — entertainment content that offers closed captioning and audio description and that is the same entertainment content that is offered to the other passengers or, if that is not possible, that is comparable entertainment content.