New rules for transporting children in 2021
Details Category: Traffic rules Published 12/28/2017
The government has signed a decree that makes many amendments to the rules for the organized transportation of children from 2021. Details are in the material of the Avtospravochnaya.com portal.
On December 27, 2021, Decree No. 1621 of December 23, 2021 “On additional requirements for the organized transportation of groups of children by bus” was published on the website of the Government of the Russian Federation. This document makes changes to the rules for transporting groups of children.
New definition of organized transportation of a group of children
The document introduces a modified wording for the organized transportation of children into the text of the traffic rules (clause 1.2):
“Organized transportation of a group of children” - transportation on a bus that is not a route vehicle, a group of children of 8 or more people, carried out without their parents or other legal representatives.”
Buses for transporting children are required to be equipped with flashing lights
Another change is that clause 3.4 of the Russian Traffic Regulations, which lists equipment that must be equipped with orange flashing lights, also added buses carrying children:
3.4. A yellow or orange flashing light must be turned on on vehicles in the following cases:
- performing work on the construction, repair or maintenance of roads, loading damaged, faulty and moving vehicles;
- transportation of large cargo, explosive, flammable, radioactive substances and highly dangerous toxic substances;
- escort of vehicles transporting large, heavy and dangerous goods;
- accompanying organized groups of cyclists during training events on public roads;
- organized transportation of a group of children.
In parallel with this, the following paragraph was added to paragraph 3 of the Rules for the organized transportation of a group of children by bus:
“When organizing the transportation of a group of children, a yellow or orange beacon must be turned on when the bus is moving on its roof or above it.”
Postponement of the ban on transporting children over 10 years old on buses
By this resolution, the Government once again postponed the entry into force of the ban on transporting children over 10 years of age by bus: from January 1 to July 1, 2021. Let us remind you that from January 1, 2021, a ban on transporting children by buses over 10 years of age was supposed to come into force in Russia. Previously, this ban was postponed several times - to January 1, 2021, then to July 1, 2021, and the last time it was postponed for another six months - until January 1, 2021. We are talking about the above-mentioned paragraph 3 of the Rules for the organized transportation of a group of children by bus:
“To carry out the organized transportation of a group of children, a bus is used, from the year of manufacture of which no more than 10 years have passed, which in terms of purpose and design meets the technical requirements for the transportation of passengers, is approved in the prescribed manner for participation in road traffic and is equipped in the prescribed manner with a tachograph, as well as satellite navigation equipment GLONASS or GLONASS/GPS.”
According to the latest amendments, the date of entry into force of this paragraph from January 1, 2021 was again postponed by six months - to July 1, 2018.
Added definitions “tour operator” and “travel agent”
The definitions of “tour operator” and “travel agent” have been added to the rules for organized transportation of a group of children by bus:
“The concepts of “tour operator”, “travel agent” are used in the meanings provided for by the Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Tourism Activities in the Russian Federation”.
Driver experience
Drivers who have continuous experience as a driver of a category “D” vehicle for at least one year as of the start date of the organized transportation of a group of children are allowed to transport children.
Transporting children by several buses
If 2 or more buses are used to carry out the organized transportation of a group of children, the head or official responsible for ensuring road safety of the organization, and in the case of organized transportation of a group of children under a charter agreement, the charterer appoints a senior person responsible for the organized transportation of a group of children and coordination actions of drivers and those responsible for buses carrying out such transportation. The numbering of buses during movement is assigned by the manager or official responsible for ensuring road safety, the organization, and in the case of organized transportation of a group of children under a charter agreement - by the charterer and transferred to the charterer no later than the day preceding the date on which the start of such transportation is scheduled.
Admission of unauthorized persons when transporting children
When organizing the transportation of a group of children by bus, it is prohibited to allow persons not included in the lists onto the bus and (or) transport on it, except for a designated medical worker. Employees of a tour operator, travel agency or organization providing excursion services participating in the implementation of the route program are allowed to travel on the bus if these workers have with them a document confirming their employment relationship with the tour operator, travel agency or organization providing excursion services and participation in the implementation route programs. This prohibition does not apply to cases established by federal laws.
Document requirements for transporting children
Grocery list
If children are on the route according to the schedule for more than 3 hours in each bus, the head or official responsible for ensuring road safety, the organization, and in the case of organized transportation of a group of children under a charter agreement, the charterer or charterer (by mutual agreement) ensures the availability sets of food products (dry rations, bottled water) from the range established by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare.
The list of food supplies for transporting children on trips longer than 3 hours is included in the list of required documents.
Lists of people
According to the latest amendments, the required documents for travel are:
- list of children (indicating the last name, first name, patronymic (if any) and age of each child, contact telephone number of parents (legal representatives);
- list of assigned accompanying persons (indicating the last name, first name, patronymic (if any) of each accompanying person, his contact telephone number);
- a list of employees of the tour operator, travel agency or organization providing excursion services (indicating the last name, first name, patronymic (if any) of each accompanying person, his contact telephone number) - in case of their participation in the implementation of the route program.
List of boarding children on the bus
The latest version of the requirements for the boarding list for children during transportation is formulated as follows:
“A document containing the procedure for boarding children on the bus, established by the manager or official responsible for ensuring road safety, an educational organization, an organization providing training, an organization carrying out educational activities, a medical organization or other organization, an individual entrepreneur carrying out organized transportation of a group children (hereinafter referred to as the organization), or the charterer, except for the case when the specified procedure for boarding children is contained in the charter agreement.”
Deadlines for submitting documents
A complete list of documents for the organized transportation of children is submitted by the carrier no later than the day preceding the date on which such transportation is scheduled to begin. It is allowed, instead of a list of employees of a tour operator, travel agency or organization providing excursion services, provided for in subparagraph, to provide information on the number of such employees, with the transfer of the corresponding list before the start of organized transportation of a group of children. The driver must also receive copies of all documents no later than the day before the date on which the trip is scheduled to begin.
Multi-trip notification
A notification about the organized transportation of a group of children may be submitted in respect of several planned organized transportations of a group of children along the same route, indicating the dates and times of such transportation.
Changes to paragraph 3 of the transportation rules (flashing lights and the ban on buses older than 10 years) will come into force on July 1, 2021, all other amendments - from January 3, 2021.
Changes in legislation
Changes have been made to the standards for the transportation of minors, fixed by Government Resolution No. 652.
The following terms have been added to the wording specified in the old version of the document:
- transportation is carried out unaccompanied by two persons representing the interests of minors (they can be declared as accompanying persons, workers with medical education);
- the minimum number of people in a group is 8;
- if the planned duration of the trip exceeds four hours, the minimum age of minors is seven years;
- the bus cannot make unscheduled stops not provided for in the route list, transport other persons and perform the functions of public transport;
- the column consists of at least 3 buses;
- the driver must have a certificate issued by the state traffic inspectorate - from 2021, at the request of a traffic police representative, it is allowed to present a copy;
- upon completion of transportation, the driver’s license is stored in the state traffic inspectorate for three years;
- transportation of children is carried out from 6-00 to 23-00, the only exception is if the event is associated with the departure of other transport (train or plane);
- if you are planning an overnight trip, the maximum distance between the points of departure and arrival is 50 km.
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Important! If a group of minors is accompanied by persons representing their interests, security measures are entrusted to them; accordingly, the requirements and standards of transportation should not be met.
Requirements for the driver and bus
Only drivers who meet the following criteria are allowed to transport persons under 16 years of age:
- have a category D license;
- have a license to provide relevant services - transportation of minors;
- minimum driving experience behind the wheel of a bus – 12 months out of the last 36 months;
- a medical certificate confirming that the driver is cleared for the flight.
Before the flight, the driver undergoes detailed instructions about the rules and regulations for transporting children. There should be no facts of deprivation of rights or other administrative violations in the traffic police.
Certain rules apply to buses, approved by GOST 33552-2015.
- A sign is installed in front and behind the bus: “Transportation of children.”
- In accordance with the approved standards, the body of the bus is yellow, and the inscription “Children” is applied to the side parts.
- The maximum age of transport is 10 years.
- Before departure on a flight, the vehicle undergoes a technical inspection, the report is kept by the driver.
- A satellite tracking device is installed on board.
- Each bus is equipped with a tachograph in order to control periods of work, driver rest, and speed limits.
Good to know! Buses are equipped with a supply of water and food.
Flashing Light
Organized group transportation of minors is carried out only if there is a flashing light - yellow or orange. It is necessary to take into account that such a beacon is not an advantage on the road; it is used solely to warn road users that there are children in the vehicle.
Rules for organized group transportation of minors in 2021
The standards established by the Government Resolution define clear requirements for the process of boarding and disembarking minors, and the actions of accompanying persons during stops.
The process of boarding and disembarking minors
Before the organized boarding begins, the attendants check the presence of all passengers by checking the list. Children must be collected at a distance of at least 15 m from the landing site.
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After checking passengers with the lists, baggage is loaded. At the same time, the dimensions of hand luggage are checked.
Instructions are provided to minors:
- behavior while the bus is moving, as well as during stops;
- the process of boarding and exiting the vehicle;
- actions in the event of force majeure or emergency situations;
- actions in the event of a deterioration in the health of one of the passengers.
Responsibilities of the attendants:
- monitoring the well-being of passengers;
- behavior control, tracking nutrition schedule;
- route control;
- settlement of a force majeure situation.
You can enter the transport only after it has stopped. Accompanying passengers in a certain, organized order (children under seven years of age stand in pairs) lead passengers to the bus. Boarding is carried out through the door closest to the driver.
Important! Carry-on luggage is laid out in transport so that it does not pose a danger and does not limit the driver’s clear view.
After the vehicle stops, the accompanying persons leave the vehicle and only then the passengers. Disembarkation is carried out exclusively through the door closest to the driver.
During the stop, accompanying persons stand at the doors of the vehicle - one at the front, the other at the back. Care must be taken to keep children away from the road.
Important! If necessary, the list of passengers is changed unilaterally before the start of the event - the trip organizer changes the composition of the group and has the right not to notify the carrier about this.
