§ 31-22.1-3 - Equipment and operation of pupil transportation vehicles.
SECTION 31-22.1-3
§ 31-22.1-3 Equipment and operation ofpupil transportation vehicles. – No person shall operate any student transportation vehicle, and the owner orcustodian of a student transportation vehicle shall not permit the same to beoperated to convey students unless the following requirements are complied with:
(1) The operator of a pupil transportation vehicle shall notallow the number of school students riding in the pupil transportation vehicleat any one time to exceed the number of adequate seats therein nor shall theoperator drive said bus until each student is seated.
(2) No person shall operate a pupil transportation vehiclereferred to in this section, nor knowingly allow any passenger to ride in suchvehicle unless the operator and all passengers are wearing a safety belt whichis properly adjusted and fastened.
(3) All doors shall be kept closed while the pupiltransportation vehicle is in motion.
(4) No fueling shall take place while any pupiltransportation vehicle is occupied by students.
(5) Each pupil transportation vehicle shall be equipped withType I Class A turn signal lamps, which shall have a four-way hazard warningsignal switch to cause simultaneous flashing of the turn signal lamps which maybe activated when a pupil transportation vehicle is approaching a stop to loador discharge school students and when needed as a vehicular traffic hazardwarning. Each pupil transportation vehicle shall also be equipped with frontand rear alternating flashing school bus red signal lamps, which shall remainflashing when school pupils are entering or leaving the pupil transportationvehicle. All aforementioned lamps shall comply with applicable Federal MotorVehicle Safety Standards and any applicable rules and regulations promulgatedby the department of motor vehicles. The operator of a pupil transportationvehicle shall cause its headlamps to be illuminated while such bus is inoperation.
(6) Any person who operates such a pupil transportationvehicle shall not permit the boarding or discharging of school studentstherefrom unless the pupil transportation vehicle is stopped as close as ispracticable to the right-hand side or edge of the ways and shall announce whendischarging passengers there from that all persons who wish to cross to theother side of the way shall do so by passing in front of the pupiltransportation vehicle immediately upon alighting therefrom. No person shalloperate a pupil transportation vehicle on a way after discharging passengerstherefrom unless all persons who wish to cross to the other side have done so.The monitor requirement of § 16-21-1 shall not apply to pupiltransportation vehicles.
(7) Each pupil transportation vehicle shall be required to beequipped with one pair of adequate chock blocks and three (3) flares incompliance with United States Motor Vehicle D.O.T. Safety Standard No. 125,which shall be placed upon the roadway in conformance with section 14 B ofchapter 85 when such vehicle becomes disabled upon the traveled portion of anyway, and seat belts for each permanent seating accommodation designed andinstalled in compliance with applicable United States Motor Vehicle SafetyStandards.
(8) All pupil transportation vehicles used to transportschool students under the provisions of this section shall display sticker asauthorized by the department of motor vehicles for a reasonable fee establishedby the department of motor vehicles.
(9) Only the holder of a Rhode Island chauffeurs licenseshall operate a pupil transportation vehicle when the vehicle is being used toconvey students, who has passed a written test as may be prescribed by thedepartment of motor vehicles.