PSVAR conversions for coaches

We are now providing a fully approved conversion for coaches to comply with PSVAR Regulations in partnership with Cogent Passenger Seating Ltd and Passenger Lift Services Ltd

PSVAR which is perhaps better known to us all as the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 is one of those “Regulations” whose immediate impact is felt, and then dare I say it almost forgotten, having been pushed to the back of one’s mind over time.  Yes, and then it becomes one of those Regulations whose implications suddenly “come out of the blue” again with repercussions many years after their introduction.

For those not in the coach industry 21 years ago a quick recap may not go amiss!  The very laudable aim was to ensure equality of access for public service vehicles, and to do so, all new buses and coaches with a carrying capacity of more than 22 passengers planned for use on local or scheduled services were to be required to be fully accessible, in line with the terms of the PSVAR Regulations.

At that time any vehicles manufactured prior to October 2000 were exempt, but the legislation was so written that over time all older vehicles would gradually have to comply with the 1st of January 2020 being that last date for older coaches to be converted.

The impact today

There are of course those coaches today which remain non-compliant, and justifiably so, because they have never been required or used for purposes within the scope of the PSVAR Regulations, ie that of local or scheduled services.

BUT there are now sound commercial reasons for coach owners to make the necessary investment of a conversion as this will enable flexibility of use of their older coaches going forward and enhance the future their resale value and, not to be ignored, the reputational value of compliance.

The conversion

Using coach manufacturers to undertake such conversion work can be extremely costly simply because of those company’s overhead costs and disruption to their production lines. In addition the location of a manufacturer, may be inconvenient involving expensive travel to and from site to deliver and collect each coach.

To provide coach owners with a more cost effective solution Cogent Passenger Seating Ltd have established a PSVAR conversion service https://cogentseating.co.uk/collections/psvar-conversions

However, being based in Swansea isn’t necessarily an ideal location for the many coach owners the company serves in the Midlands, or further north, and wishing to maximise the availability of the conversion service Cogent have teamed up with us at Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd to offer the identical PSVAR conversion service from our centrally located factory in Leicester.  Here we make full use of Cogent components and seating to ensure total compatibility of each coach conversion regardless of the site where the work is undertaken.

Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd

At MVTech we specialise in the many aspects of bus and coach conversion, many of which are associated with exhibition and promotional activities whilst others are Play Bus conversions and outreach bus conversions.  https://www.multivehicletechnology.co.uk/products/bus-conversions/

Our long-time partner on many of these projects is Passenger Lift Services Ltd  http://www.passengerliftservices.co.uk/products/psvar-compliant-coach-lifts

As part of each conversion we therefore use their appropriate wheelchair access lifts, which are compatible with the vast majority of coach designs, and the first choice of our clients.  Being fully PSVAR, DDA and Directive 2001/85/EC these lifts offer a long service life.

Whatever the motivation or driving force behind going ahead with the conversion to PSVAR  standard,  coach owners can be assured that the team of Cogent, MVTech and PSL will provide the most cost effective, highest quality installation available.

For more information or a quotation without obligation please call Steve Stones on 0116 326 0989 or mobile 07739 302209 or write to him on stevestones@multivehicletechnology.co.uk