52. The representative of Japan, Chair of the IWG on IWVTA, presented the Draft General Guidelines for United Nation regulatory procedures and transitional provisions in UN Regulations (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/107, Corr.1 and Add.1). These guidelines aim to streamline future work in the subsidiary bodies, to clarify the procedures following Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement and to ensure “good regulatory practice” by providing clarifications to avoid divergence in the understanding of Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement and the application of UN Regulations. The World Forum noted the intention of the IWG on IWVTA to further consider a number of amendments recommended by Contracting Parties and by the Working Parties for consideration at the next sessions of WP.29.

53. WP.29 adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/107, Corr.1 and Add.1, as amended below:

“Paragraph 6.1., shall be deleted.
Remove all square brackets in the document, and keep the proposed text.”

53 bis. The representative of the Russian Federation noted that the proposal to delete item 6.1. would require additional elaboration verifying legal consequences, therefore the Russian Federation reserved its position on the issue.

5. The expert from Germany recalled the purpose of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20 to improve the accommodation and accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility. He added that GRSG had adopted the document in principle at its previous session as reproduced in GRSG-112-35 subject to the insertion of transitional provisions. Thus, the expert from OICA introduced GRSG-113-15-Rev.1. The expert from Sweden underlined the need to delete the amendments to Annex 8, paragraph 3.2.4. GRSG adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20 as reproduced in Annex V to the session report (based on GRSG-113-15-Rev.2) and requested the secretariat to submit it to WP.29 and AC.1 as draft 08 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 107 for consideration at their March 2018 sessions.

56. Upon the request of the World Forum and the IWG on IWVTA, GRSG considered the general guidelines for UN regulatory procedures and transitional provisions in UN Regulations (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/107, Add.1 and Corr.1). GRSG endorsed the guideline documents and recommended the IWG on IWVTA to consider further amendments as reflected in GRSG-113-40.

5. Recalling the discussion at the previous GRSG session on ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20, the expert from Switzerland presented GRSG-112-02-Rev.1 proposing to simplify the provisions of UN Regulation No. 107 by inserting references to parts 1 and 2 of the forthcoming updated European standards EN 16584:2015 on railway applications for persons with reduced mobility (GRSG-112-03 and GRSG-112-04). The expert from France preferred to leave these requirements out of the Regulation to avoid possible inconsistencies with existing national requirements. A number of experts preferred to keep some of the requirements proposed in GRSG-111-35 within the Regulation, but to improve the wording of the provisions concerned. Following the discussion, GRSG adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20 as amended by GRSG-112-35 and agreed to submit it to WP.29 as a new 08 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 107. Thus, the expert from OICA volunteered to prepare, in due time, a revised official document for consideration and final adoption at the next GRSG session, including the proposed transitional provisions (i.e. June 2020 for new types of vehicles and June 2022 for all existing types).

8. The expert from Germany proposed amendments to UN Regulation No. 107 to improve the accommodation and accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20 and Corr.1) including new testing provisions to ensure visual contrast of some safety elements and the installation of loudspeakers. The expert from Japan introduced GRSG-111-28 on the efforts in his country to set up legal conditions for barrier-free public transport systems. He presented GRSG-111-36 which outlines the specifications for non-step buses. The expert from UITP welcomed all these efforts, but reminded GRSG of the necessity to avoid design restrictions and to limit such provisions only for certain vehicles of category M3. The expert from the United Kingdom endorsed the position. A number of experts were of the opinion that all aspects linked to the environment and health (such as hygienic conditions, colour specifications, visibility and contrast issues) should be regulated on a national/regional level. The expert from Belgium preferred to insert such provisions, if necessary, as only optional requirements.

9. GRSG noted the observations by IRU that the new amendments proposed by Germany might create an additional burden on road transport operators without increasing road safety (GRSG-111-16). The experts from CLCCR and OICA shared these concerns. The Chair invited all experts to send their written comments to the expert from Germany. GRSG agreed to resume consideration, at its next session in April 2017, of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/2016/20 as reflected in GRSG-111-35 on the basis of a revised document to be submitted by Germany.