1. (a) Service door.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The service door shall be:

2. (i) Within the driver's control; and

   1. (ii) So designed to afford easy release and provide a positive latching device on manual operating doors to prevent accidental opening.

      1. (B) When hand lever is used, no parts shall come together so as to shear or crush fingers.
   2. (2) Manual door controls shall not require more than twenty-five pounds (25 lbs.) of force to operate at any point throughout the range of operation, as tested on a ten percent (10%) grade both uphill and downhill.
   3. (3) Service door shall be located on right side of bus, opposite and within direct view of the driver.

   4. (4) Service door shall have a:

      1. (A) Minimum horizontal opening of twenty-four inches (24”); and
      2. (B) Minimum vertical opening of sixty-eight inches (68”).

   5. (5) Service doors shall be:

      1. (A) Split type;
      2. (B) Sedan type; or
      3. (C) Jack-knife type.

   6. (6)

      1. (A) Lower as well as upper panels shall be of approved safety glass.
      2. (B) The bottom of the lower glass panel shall not be more than ten inches (10”) from the top surface of the bottom step.
      3. (C) The top of each upper glass panel shall not be more than six inches (6”) from the top of the door.
   7. (7) Vertical closing edges on split type or folding type entrance doors shall be equipped with flexible material to protect the children’s fingers.

   8. (8)

      1. (A) All doors shall be equipped with padding at the top edge of each door opening.

      2. (B) Padding shall:

         1. (i) Be at least three inches (3”) wide and one inch (1”) thick; and
         2. (ii) Extend the full width of the door opening.

   9. (9) On power-operated service doors, the emergency release valve, switch, or device to release the service door must be:

      1. (A) Placed above or to the immediate left or right of the service door; and
      2. (B) Clearly labeled.

3. (b) Emergency doors.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The emergency door shall be hinged on the right side if in the rear end of the bus.

      2. (B) It shall:

         1. (i) Open outward; and
         2. (ii) Be labeled inside to indicate how it is to be opened.

      3. (C) If double emergency doors are used on Type A vehicles, they shall:

         1. (i) Be hinged on the outside edge; and
         2. (ii) Have a three-point fastening device.
      4. (D) A device shall be used that holds the door open to prevent the emergency door from closing during emergencies and school bus evacuation drills.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) The upper portion of the emergency door shall be equipped with approved safety glass, the exposed area of which shall be not less than four hundred square inches (400 sq. in.).
      2. (B) The lower portion of the rear emergency door on Type B, Type C, and Type D vehicles shall be equipped with a minimum of three hundred fifty square inches (350 sq. in.) of approved safety glass.
   3. (3) There shall be no steps leading to the emergency door.
   4. (4) The words "EMERGENCY DOOR", in letters at least two inches (2”) high, shall be placed at the top of or directly above the emergency door or on the door in the metal panel above the top glass, both inside and outside of the bus.

   5. (5)

      1. (A) The emergency door shall be equipped with padding at the top edge of each door opening.

      2. (B) Padding shall:

         1. (i) Be at least three inches (3”) wide and one inch (1”) thick; and
         2. (ii) Extend the full width of the door opening.
   6. (6) The side emergency door, if installed, must meet the requirements as set forth in FMVSS 217, regardless of its use with any other combination of emergency exits.
   7. (7) There shall be no obstruction higher than one-fourth inch (1/4”) across the bottom of any emergency door opening.
   8. (8) All exterior metal door hinges which do not have stainless steel, brass, or non-metallic hinge pins or other designs that prevent corrosion shall be designed to allow lubrication to be channeled to the center seventy-five percent (75%) of each hinge loop without disassembly.

Codification Notes: “FMVSS” means Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.