General explanation of Approved Qualified Organisations (AQOs)

General explanation of Approved Qualified Organisations (AQOs)

Approved Qualified Organisations (AQOs) work on guided public transport systems located outside mountain areas.
Under the French Transport Code, legislation requires that an AQO be involved in the assessment of guided public transport systems.
The decree of 30 March 2017 sets out the various responsibilities of AQOs, as well as the conditions for their certification. Accordingly, the Minister for Transport may, after consulting the National Commission for the Evaluation of Guided Transport, approve qualified organisations:

• either to conduct the safety assessment of the design, implementation and operation of guided public transport systems.
• or to assess the design safety or implementation of substantial modifications to guided public transport systems in a single technical field.

The decree provides for the “overall” safety assessment, as well as 5 technical areas:

1. Infrastructure
2. Rail control-command and signalling
3. Energy
4. Rolling stock
5. Urban integration of tramways.

AQOs must be independent.