95. Seating arrangement of public service vehicles other than tourism vehicles.
(1)Drivers' seat:(a)No public service vehicle shall be driven otherwise than from the right hand side of the vehicle.(b)On every public service vehicle space shall be reserved for the driver's seat such as to allow him to exercise full and unimpeded control of the vehicle, and in particular:(i)the part of the seat against which the driver's back rests shall not be less than twenty eight centimeters, from the nearest point of the steering wheel;(ii)the width across the vehicle shall not be less than seventy centimeters and shall extend to the left of the centre of the steering column in no case less than twenty five centimeters and so that a line drawn parallel to the axis of the vehicle through the centre of any gear lever, brake lever or other device to which the driver has to have frequent access, lies not less than five centimeters inside the with reserved for the driver's seat and(iii)in the case of public service vehicle other than a motor cab, the space reserved in accordance with clause (ii) above shall, at the left-hand end be enclosed with a rigid wooden or other suitable partition to a height not less than thirty centimeters above the seat, and continued forward of the seat at an adequate height above the floor of the vehicle.(c)No public service vehicle shall be so constructed that any person may sit or any luggage may be carried on the right hand side of the driver.(2)Passenger's Seat in the Buses:(a)In every public service vehicle other than a cab, there shall be provided , for a conductor seating space of 38 cm x 30 cm, for each passenger a reasonable comfortable seating space as specified below:(i)in the case if the vehicle having seats for two passengers on each side across the vehicle, seating space of not less than thirty-eight centimeters square measured on straight lines along at right angles to the front of each seat;(ii)in the case of vehicle having seats for two passengers on one side and three passengers on the other side across of the vehicle, a seating space of not less than thirty-eight centimeters square measured on straight lines along and at right angles to the front of each seat in case of seats for two passengers, and a seating space of not less than forty centimeters measured on straight lines along the seat and thirty-eight centimeters at right angles to the front of each seat (i.e depth of the seat) air the case of seats for three passengers; and(iii)when the seats placed alongside the vehicle, a seating space of not less than thirty-eight centimeters square measured on straight lines along and at right angles of the front of each set for two passengers, and a seating space of not less than forty centimeters measured on straight lines along the front of each seat (i.e. depth of the seat) in the case of seats for three passengers; and(aa)when the seats are placed along the vehicle, the backs of the sets on one side shall be at least one hundred and forty centimeters distant from the back of the seats on the other side,(bb)when the seats are placed across the vehicle and are facing in the same direction, there shall be every where a clear space of not less than sixty-five centimeters between the back of the seats; and(cc)when the seats are placed across the vehicle and are facing each other, there shall be every where a clear space of not less than one hundred and thirty-five centimeters between the backs of facing seats:Provided that a seat for the conductor need not be provided in the stage carriage running exclusively with the National Capital Territory of Delhi.(b)The height of all seats from the floor shall not be less than forty centimeters including cushions in all buses.(c)The backs (cushion portion) of all seats shall be closed to the height of at least forty-five centimeters above the level of the seat.(3)Passenger's seat in four passengers auto-rickshaws. - (a) There shall be provided for each passenger a reasonable comfortable seating space of not less than forty centimeters square measured on straight lines along and on right angles to the front of each seat. The seats shall be placed across the vehicle. When all the seats are placed in the same directions there shall be at all places a clear space of not less than sixty-seven centimeters between the backs of either of the seat and shall face to the front or two seats to the front and two seats to the rear back.(b)The backs of the seats shall be slanting and closed to a height of atleast forty-five centimeters above the level of the seat.(c)The seats shall be provided with fixed or movable cushions. The cushions shall be covered with leather cloth of good quality or other material of such kind that these are capable of being kept in a clear condition.(d)The height of the seats from the floor shall be not less than thirty-five centimeters including cushions.(e)Leg space. - There shall be provided at least thirty-seven centimeters of leg space.(5)Protection of passengers from weather. - (a) Every public service vehicle shall be either constructed with a fixed and water tight roof or equipped with a watertight hood that may be raised or lowered as required.Provided that the above shall not apply to the upper deck of a double-decked vehicle.(b)Save in the case of the uncovered top deck of a double decker, every public service vehicle shall have suitable windows, venations or screens capable at all the times of protecting the passengers from weather without preventing adequate ventilation of the vehicle, when the screens are made of fabric, the whole of them shall at all time be fastened securely to the vehicle.(c)Where glass windows or venetians are used, they must be provided with effective means to prevent their rattlings.(d)[ In the case of educational institution buses and medium or heavy passenger motor vehicles being used for the purpose of transporting school students, horizontal window steel bars shall be fixed on the exterior of the bus in such a manner that the distance between any two bars does not exceed twenty centimeters. [Inserted vide notification no. F 21/SECY/STA/97/PF/365 dated 22-06-1998.]
