Arkansas Administrative Code

6 CAR § 335-120. Instruments and instrument panel. (a) Chassis shall be equipped with the following instruments and gauges (lights in lieu of gauges are not acceptable except as noted): (1) Speedometer; (2) Odometer which will give accrued mileage (six (6) digits with trip odomet…

6 CAR § 335-121. Openings. All openings in the floorboard and firewall between the chassis and passenger-carrying compartment, such as for the gearshift selector and parking brake lever, shall be sealed.

6 CAR § 335-122. Passenger load. (a)(1) Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the sum of: (A) The chassis weight; plus (B) The body weight; plus (C) The driver's weight; plus (D) Total seated pupil weight. (2) For purposes of calculation, the driver's weight is one hundred fifty pounds (…

6 CAR § 335-123. Retarder system. A retarder system, if used, shall maintain the speed of the fully-loaded school bus at nineteen miles per hour (19.0 mph) or thirty kilometers per hour (30 km/h) on a seven-percent grade for three and six tenths (3.6) miles or six kilometers (6 k…

6 CAR § 335-124. Shock absorbers. A bus shall be equipped with front and rear double-action shock absorbers compatible with the manufacturer's rated axle capacity at each wheel location.

6 CAR § 335-125. Springs. The capacity of springs or suspension assemblies shall be commensurate with the chassis manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating.

6 CAR § 335-126. Steering gear. (a) Steering gear shall be: (1) Approved by the chassis manufacturer; and (2) Designed to ensure safe and accurate performance when the vehicle is operated: (A) With maximum load; and (B) At maximum speed. (b) If external adjustments are required, …

6 CAR § 335-127. Tires and wheels. (a) Tires and wheels of proper size and tires with load rating commensurate with chassis manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating shall be provided. (b) Dual rear tires shall be provided on Type A school buses. (c) All tires on any given axle …

6 CAR § 335-128. Tow eyes or hooks. (a) Tow eyes or hooks shall be: (1) Furnished at the front and rear; and (2) Attached so as not to project beyond the front or rear bumpers. (b) Tow eyes or hooks attached to the frame (chassis) shall be furnished by the chassis manufacturer. (…

6 CAR § 335-129. Transmission-differential. (a)(1) When automatic or automated transmission is used, it shall provide for not less than: (A) Three (3) forward speeds; and (B) One (1) reverse speed. (2) The shift selector, if applicable, shall provide a detent between each gear po…

6 CAR § 335-130. Turning radius. (a) A chassis with a wheelbase of two hundred sixty-four inches (264”) or less shall have a right and left turning radius of not more than forty-two and one-half feet (42 1/2’), curb to curb measurement. (b) A chassis with a wheelbase of two hundr…

6 CAR § 335-131. Undercoating. (a) The entire underside of the bus body, including floor sections, cross member, and below floor-line side panels, shall be coated with rust-proofing material for which the material manufacturer has issued to the bus body manufacturer a notarized c…

6 CAR § 335-132. Weight distribution. The weight distribution of a fully loaded bus on a level surface shall be such as not to exceed the manufacturer's: (1) Front gross axle rating; and (2) Rear gross axle weight rating.

6 CAR § 335-133. Bus body specifications. All bus bodies shall meet Arkansas specifications and FMVSS: (1) In effect as of the effective date of this part; or (2) In force on the day of issuance of bid request.

6 CAR § 335-134. Passenger compartment air conditioning (optional). (a)(1) The following specifications are applicable to all types of school buses that may be equipped with air conditioning. (2) This section is divided into three (3) parts. (A) Subsection (b) covers performance …

6 CAR § 335-135. Aisle. (a) All emergency doors shall be accessible by a twelve-inch minimum aisle. (b) The primary aisle shall be unobstructed at all times by any type barrier or seat. (c) The aisle to the left side of the emergency door, if so equipped, may have an automatic fo…

6 CAR § 335-136. Back up warning device. An automatic audible alarm shall: (1) Be installed behind the rear axle; and (2) Comply with the SAE International published Backup Alarm Standards (SAE International 994b).

6 CAR § 335-137. Certification. (a) A body manufacturer shall, upon request, certify to the state agency having pupil transportation jurisdiction that their product meets minimum Arkansas standards. (b) A certification plate indicating maximum design capacity and equipped capacit…

6 CAR § 335-138. Color. (a)(1) The school bus body shall be painted uniform color, NSBY. (2) The entrance door and window post may be black. (b) The body exterior paint trim, bumpers, rub rails, lamp hoods, emergency door lettering, and arrow shall be black. (c) The roof of the b…

6 CAR § 335-139. Communications. (a) Buses may be equipped with AM/FM, CD and/or a two-way radio communication system. (b) Speakers shall be flush mounted.

6 CAR § 335-140. Construction. (a) Side intrusion test. (1)(A) The bus body shall be constructed to withstand an intrusion force equal to the curb weight of the vehicle, but shall not exceed twenty thousand pounds (20,000 lbs.), whichever is less. (B) Each vehicle shall be capabl…

6 CAR § 335-141. Crossing control arm. (a)(1) Buses shall be equipped with a crossing control arm mounted on the right side of the front bumper. (2) This arm when opened shall extend in a line parallel with the body side and positioned on a line with the right-side front tire. (b…

6 CAR § 335-142. Defrosters. (a)(1) Defrosting and defogging equipment shall direct a sufficient flow of heated air onto the windshield, the window to the left of the driver, and the glass in the viewing area directly to the right of the driver to eliminate: (A) Frost; (B) Fog; a…

6 CAR § 335-143. Doors. (a) Service door. (1)(A) The service door shall be: (i) Within the driver's control; and (ii) So designed to afford easy release and provide a positive latching device on manual operating doors to prevent accidental opening. (B) When hand lever is used, no…

6 CAR § 335-144. Emergency equipment. (a) Fire extinguisher. (1)(A) The bus shall be equipped with at least two (2) pressurized, dry chemical fire extinguishers, complete with hose to meet Underwriters' Laboratories Inc. approval. (B) Extinguishers must be mounted in a bracket, o…

6 CAR § 335-145. Emergency exit requirements. (a) All buses shall be equipped with a total number of emergency exits required by FMVSS 217. (b)(1) Side emergency exit windows when installed may be vertically hinged on the forward side of the window. (2) No side emergency exit win…

6 CAR § 335-146. Floor. (a) Floor in under seat area, including the tops of wheel housings, driver's compartment, and toe board, shall be covered with a rubber floor covering or equivalent, having a minimum overall thickness of one hundred twenty-five thousandths of an inch (.125…

6 CAR § 335-147. Heating system. (a) The heater shall be: (1) Hot water combustion type; (2) Electric heating element; or (3) Heat pump. (b) If only one (1) heater is used, it shall be fresh-air or combination fresh-air and recirculation type. (c) If more than one (1) heater is u…

6 CAR § 335-148. Identification. (a)(1) The body shall bear the words "SCHOOL BUS" in black letters at least eight inches (8”) high on: (A) Both the front and rear of the body; or (B) Signs attached thereto. (2) Lettering shall be placed as high as possible without impairment of …

6 CAR § 335-149. Inside height. (a) Inside body height shall be seventy-two inches (72”) or more, measured metal-to-metal, at any point of longitudinal centerline from front vertical bow to rear vertical bow. (b) Inside body height of Type A buses shall be sixty-two inches (62”) …

6 CAR § 335-150. Insulation. (a)(1) Ceiling and walls shall be insulated with proper material to deaden sound, and to reduce vibration to a minimum. (2) If thermal insulation is specified, it shall be fire-resistant and meet the requirements of FMVSS 302. (b)(1) If floor insulati…

6 CAR § 335-151. Interior. (a)(1) The interior of the bus shall be free of all unnecessary projections, which include luggage racks and attendant handrails likely to cause injury. (2) This standard requires inner lining on ceilings and walls. (3) If the ceiling is constructed to …

6 CAR § 335-152. Lamps and signals. (a)(1) Interior lamps shall be provided which adequately illuminate the aisle and stepwell. (2) The stepwell light shall be illuminated by a service door operated switch to illuminate only when headlights and clearance lights are on and the ser…

6 CAR § 335-153. Metal treatment. (a)(1) All metal used in construction of a bus body shall be zinc-coated or aluminum-coated or treated by an equivalent process before a bus is constructed. (2) Included are such items as: (A) Structural members; (B) Inside and outside panels; an…

6 CAR § 335-154. Mirrors. The mirror system shall comply with FMVSS 111 Rearview and Crossview Mirrors.

6 CAR § 335-155. Mounting. (a)(1) The chassis frame shall support the rear body cross member. (2) The bus body shall be attached to the chassis frame at each main floor sill, except where chassis components interfere, in such a manner as to prevent shifting or separation of the b…

6 CAR § 335-156. Noise suppression switch. Each bus shall be equipped with a switch mounted in the driver’s compartment to turn off all noise-producing accessories simultaneously, including heater blowers, air conditioning, defroster fans, and auxiliary fans and radios, if so equ…

6 CAR § 335-157. Overall length. Overall length of a bus shall not exceed forty-five feet (45’).

6 CAR § 335-158. Overall width. Overall width of a bus shall not exceed one hundred two inches (102”), excluding accessories.

6 CAR § 335-159. Retroreflective material. (a) The front and/or rear bumper may be marked diagonally forty-five degrees (45˚) down to the centerline of the pavement with two and one-fourth inch (2 1/4”) wide strips of noncontrasting retroreflective material. (b)(1) The rear of th…

6 CAR § 335-160. Rub rails. (a)(1) There shall be four (4) rub rails, each black, located on each side of the bus: (A) One (1) at seat level which shall extend from the rear side of the entrance door completely around the bus body (except for emergency door, engine door, and gril…

6 CAR § 335-161. Seat and seat belt for drivers. (a)(1) A Type 2 lap belt/shoulder harness seat belt shall be: (A) Provided for the driver; and (B) Of a high visibility fluorescent color. (2) The assembly shall be equipped with an emergency locking retractor (ELR) for the continu…

6 CAR § 335-162. Seating for passengers. (a)(1) All seats shall have a minimum cushion depth of fifteen inches (15”) and must comply with all requirements of FMVSS 222. (2) School bus design capacities shall be in accordance with FMVSS 222. (b) Upholstery shall conform with FMVSS…

6 CAR § 335-163. Seat belts. Type II lap/shoulder belts meeting FMVSS 209, 210, and 222 may be added to any bus.

6 CAR § 335-164. Steps. (a)(1) The first step at the service door shall be not less than ten inches (10”) and not more than fourteen inches (14”) from ground, based on standard chassis specifications. (2) Type D vehicles shall have the first step at the service door twelve inches…

6 CAR § 335-165. Step treads. (a) All steps, including floor line platform area, shall be covered with three-sixteenths inch (3/16”) ribbed or studded elastomeric floor covering that exhibits: (1) Good resistance to abrasion; and (2) High coefficient of friction. (b) Step coverin…

6 CAR § 335-166. Stirrup steps. (a) There shall be at least one (1) folding stirrup step or recessed foothold and suitably located handles on each side of the front of the body for easy accessibility for cleaning the windshield and lamps except when windshield and lamps are easil…