Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From the Entertainer Motorcoach Council

Summary: FMCSA requests public comment on an application for exemption from the Entertainer Motorcoach Council (EMC) to allow its members to operate certain vehicles that do not meet the emergency exit requirements in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The FMCSRs require buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds, manufactured on or after September 1, 1994, to meet the emergency exit requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217, ``Bus Emergency exits and window retention and release'' in effect on the date of manufacture. FMVSS No. 217 requires side exits and at least one rear exit, but when the bus configuration precludes installation of an accessible rear exit, a roof exit is required in the rear half of the bus to provide a means of egress when the bus is overturned on either side. EMC believes that while certain ``Entertainer Coaches'' do not have a rear or roof exit, the emergency exit windows at the rear sides of the vehicle that open manually and provide openings large enough to admit unobstructed passage provide an equivalent level of safety.