Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (B2007 Vehicles) Exemption Order 2015 and comes into force on 30th September 2015.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In this Order-

"the 2010 Regulations" means the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010(4);

"Docklands Light Railway" mean the Docklands Light Railway network between Bank, Tower Gateway, Stratford and Stratford International and Beckton, Woolwich Arsenal and Lewisham stations;

"exempt vehicle" means a rail vehicle of the type known as B2007 and with a number in the series 101 to 155;

"platform gap" means the gap between the edge of the door sill of a wheelchair compatible doorway of an exempt vehicle and the platform or stop;

"wheelchair compatible doorway" has the same meaning as in the 2010 Regulations.

(2) In this Order a reference to a numbered paragraph is a reference to that paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 2010 Regulations.

Exemption

3.  Subject to articles 4, 5 and 6, an exempt vehicle is authorised to be used for carriage even if it is used in a manner that does not conform with paragraph 1(1) (boarding devices at wheelchair-compatible doorways), if the vehicle is stationary at a platform at a station on the Docklands Light Railway named in a table in the Schedule.

Conditions

4.  Subject to article 5, the exemption from paragraph 1(1) applies only if -

(a)the platform gap is not more than 85 millimetres measured horizontally; and

(b)the platform gap is not more than 50 millimetres measured vertically.

5.-(1) In relation to a platform at a station named in Table 2 of the Schedule, the condition in article 4(a) does not apply until the day indicated next to the name of the station.

(2) In relation to a platform at a station named in Table 3 of the Schedule, the conditions in articles 4(a) and (b) do not apply until the day indicated next to the name of the station.

Expiry

6.  The exemption from paragraph 1(1) expires at the end of 29th September 2025.

Review

7.-(1) The Secretary of State must from time to time -

(a)carry out a review of articles 3 to 6,

(b)set out the conclusions of the review in a report, and

(c)publish the report.

(2) The report must in particular-

(a)set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory system established by this Order,

(b)assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved,

(c)assess whether those objectives remain appropriate and, if so, the extent to which they could be achieved with a system which imposes less regulation.

(3) The report under this Order must be published before the end of the period of five years beginning with the day on which this Order comes into force.

Articles 3 and 5

SCHEDULE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order (article 3) exempts certain rail vehicles of the type B2007 from the requirement under the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 for boarding devices to be fitted between wheelchair compatible doorways and the platform where the vehicles are stationary at specified stations on the Docklands Light Railway.

The exemption is subject to a condition that the gap between the carriage floor and the platform is not more than 85 millimetres measured horizontally, and a condition that the gap is not more than 50 millimetres measured vertically (article 4). In relation to the platforms at stations listed in Table 2 of the Schedule, the condition in respect of the horizontal gap does not apply until the dates specified in the Table. In relation to the platforms at stations listed in Table 3 of the Schedule, the conditions in respect of both the horizontal gap and the vertical gap do not apply until the dates specified in the Table (article 5).

The exemption will expire at the end of 29th September 2025 (article 6).

Article 7 requires the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of this Order and publish a report five years after it comes into force. Following the review it will fall to the Secretary of State to consider whether the Order should remain as it is, or be revoked or be amended. A further instrument would be needed to revoke this Order or to amend it.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no cost to business or voluntary sectors is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is available alongside the instrument on the website www.legislation.gov.uk.