Passenger transport

This chapter covers the additional, specific requirements for operating passenger vehicles, including permits, drivers’ hours exemptions, registration of services, passenger behaviour and vehicle specifications.

Updates for 2024:

  • European Commission consultation on drivers’ hours and working time to make them more specific to the sector.

  • Seat belt buckle guards.

  • PSV Inspection Manual updates.

  • Updates on the PSVAR Review.

  • Update on transporting passengers to Designated Sporting Events following the Traffic Commissioner’s amendments to the voluntary guidelines.

 

Download the passenger transport chapter of the Yearbook of Road Transport Law

Contents:

  • Definitions.

  • Operator licensing.

  • Permit operations.

  • Maintenance and inspections.

  • Drivers’ hours rules.

    • Exemptions and derogations.

  • Drivers' licences.

  • Driver CPC.

  • Seat belts.

  • Technical standards for belts and anchorages.

  • Marking of PSVs.

  • Marking of school buses.

  • Type Approval/Certificate of Initial Fitness.

  • Registration and excise duty.

  • Annual testing.

  • Speed limits.

  • Speed limiters.

  • Health and Safety.
  • Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations.

  • Guidelines on sporting events in England and Wales.

  • Guidelines on sporting events in Scotland.

Download the passenger transport chapter of the Yearbook of Road Transport Law

Additional Rules & Regulations

The law governing passenger vehicle operation is similar in many respects to that for goods vehicles. There is a system of operator licensing, administered by the same Traffic Commissioners and restrictions on driving and duty times imposed by domestic and European legislation. There are also many additional specific requirements, such as rules on passenger behaviour and on the registration of services. To find out which rules apply, there is a set of definitions and classifications of the various types of service in the Passenger transport chapter of the Yearbook of Road Transport Law