49 C.F.R. Subpart B—Bus Testing Procedures
Title 49 - Transportation
(a) A new bus model to be tested at the bus testing facility shall— (1) Be a single model; (2) Meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in part 571 of this title; (3) Be substantially fabricated and assembled by techniques and tooling that will be used in production of subsequent buses of that model. (b) If the new bus model had not been previously tested at the bus testing facility, then the new bus model shall undergo the full tests requirements for maintainability, reliability, safety, performance, structural integrity, fuel economy, and noise; (c) If the new bus model had not been previously tested at the bus testing facility and is being produced on a mass produced chassis that has been previously tested on another bus model at the bus testing facility, then the new bus model may undergo partial testing requirements; (d) If the new bus model had been previously tested at the bus testing facility, then the new bus model may undergo partial testing requirements. (e) The following vehicle types shall be tested: (1) Minimum service life of 12 years or 500,000 miles—typified by heavy duty large buses, approximately 35–40 foot, as well as articulated buses. (2) Minimum service life of ten years or 350,000 miles—typified by heavy duty small buses, approximately 30 foot. (3) Minimum service life of seven years or 200,000 miles—typified by medium duty mid-size buses, approximately 25–35 foot. (4) Minimum service life of five years or 150,000 miles—typified by light duty mid-size buses, approximately 25–35 foot. (5) Minimum service life of four years or 100,000 miles—typified by light duty small buses, cutaways, and modified vans, approximately 16–28 foot. (f) Tests performed in a higher service life category (i.e., longer service life) need not be repeated when the same bus model is used in lesser service life applications. However, the use of a bus model in a service life application higher than it has been tested for may make the bus subject to the bus testing requirements. (g) The operator of the facility shall develop a test plan for the testing of vehicles at the facility, which generally follows the guidelines set forth in appendix A of this part. (a) Upon completion of testing, the operator of the facility shall provide a test report to the entity that submitted the bus for testing. (b)(1) A manufacturer of a new bus model or a bus produced with a major change in component or configuration shall provide a copy of the test report to a recipient during the point in the procurement process specified by the recipient. (2) A manufacturer who releases a report under paragraph (b)(1) of this section also shall provide notice to the operator of the facility that the report is available to the public. (c) If a bus model subject to a test report has a change that is not a major change under this part, the manufacturer shall advise the recipient during the procurement process and shall include description of the change and its basis for concluding that it is not a major change. (d) A test report shall be available publicly once the owner of the report makes it available during the recipient's procurement process. The operator of the facility will have available for distribution copies of all the publicly available reports. (e) The test report is the only information or documentation that will be made available publicly in connection with any bus model tested at the facility.
Title 49: Transportation
PART 665—BUS TESTING
Subpart B—Bus Testing Procedures
§ 665.11 Testing requirements.
§ 665.13 Test report and manufacturer certification.
