Professional Transport Services

25/08/2026

Home to School Exemptions reopened

PSVAR medium-term exemption applications for closed-door home-to-school coaches will reopen from 25 August to 8 September

Applications for medium-term exemptions from PSVAR for coaches on closed-door home-to-school services to summer 2030 will be reopened.

18/08/2026

Free bus travel 24/7 for disabled people

Eligible disabled people across England will get free bus travel all day, every day, after the Prime Minister announced today (Tuesday 18 August) that the government will lift time restrictions on concessionary passes.

From 1 April 2027, people who hold a disabled bus pass can travel on buses for free, no matter the time of day. This extra support will help to open up access to workplaces, education, training, and other opportunities as well as giving people breathing space on the cost of living and putting money back in people’s pockets.

Currently, disabled bus passes are only valid for travel between 9.30am and 11pm during weekdays, unless local authorities choose to fund an extension.

Further information:

Eligible disabled people across England will get free bus travel all day, every day, after the Prime Minister announced today (Tuesday 18 August) that the government will lift time restrictions on concessionary passes.

17/08/2026

Striking images show passengers waving from the windows as a long line of buses made its way across Salisbury Plain to the 'ghost' village of Imber in Wiltshire.

03/08/2026

Transport Committee inquiry into women and girls’ safety
The Transport Committee has opened an inquiry into how effectively the government is helping to keep women and girls safe when they travel.

The inquiry will also seek to establish how meaningfully the Department for Transport (DfT) is contributing to the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls. A strategy on VAWG sets out the steps to achieving that and observes how well-lit streets, accessible transport and thoughtful urban design can deter violence, reduce opportunities for harm, and “send a clear message that public spaces belong to everyone.”

Helping to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an imperative for the bus industry. The Bus Services Act 2025 in England includes plans to mandate that staff, including drivers and those based at bus stations, undertake training to recognise and handle incidents of antisocial behaviour, including VAWG.

The Transport Committee has opened an inquiry into how effectively the government is helping to keep women and girls safe as they travel.

31/07/2026

Operators must address school phone ban before September

ShuttleID’s founder is urging school transport operators to discuss local phone-ban policies with schools now, as app-based ticketing could be affected when pupils board services.

Department for Education guidance published on 29 June requires schools in England to become mobile phone-free by default from 1 September.

Schools must restrict phone and smart-device access throughout the day, though headteachers can decide how policies are implemented and should consider pupils’ journeys to and from school.

Even less restrictive policies may disrupt smartphone ticketing if devices are confiscated, leaving pupils without QR codes or phone tickets. Operators relying on apps should provide printed passes, smartcards or other alternatives.

Restrictions may also limit pupils’ access to live tracking and service alerts, although parent-focused systems should retain boarding notifications and safeguarding functions.

ShuttleID founder Chris Bell is urging operators to start conversations now to understand how local positions will impact transport

31/07/2026

Until early 2026, DfT believed that unplanned rail replacement services would not be in scope of the PSV Accessible Information Regulations.

28/07/2026

Impounded foreign coach illustrates care needed on overseas work

Coach operators running occasional international trips to or from the UK are being urged to follow the rules carefully after DVSA impounded a foreign-registered coach for alleged breaches.

DVSA says this is not a PSV “cabotage” offence but non-UK vehicles carrying out domestic carriage. Since 1 April 2025, EU-based coach operators can no longer undertake such work in the UK.

This is DVSA’s first seizure of this kind. Since the start of 2026, no reports have been received of overseas coaches breaching the rule, but suspected illegal domestic carriage should still be reported.

Foreign-registered PSVs caught doing this work can be penalised for operating without an O-Licence.

DVSA’s powers are otherwise limited, as it cannot report the operator to the Traffic Commissioner, though other offences may lead to fixed penalties or prohibition.

A coach may be impounded if it repeats illegal domestic carriage after a previous penalty, because the operator should know the requirements. DVSA says responses depend on the seriousness and frequency of allegations, and illegal carriage by foreign-registered coaches is now much rarer.

James Backhouse advises operators unsure about Interbus rules to seek advice before departure. Closed-door tours and one-way trips out and back with the same group are usually straightforward, but other arrangements can be complex, especially when linked to activities such as cycling, walking or canoeing.

After a foreign coach was impounded by DVSA, UK and European operators alike have been advised to take great care on overseas work.

27/07/2026

Operation Brock summer 2026

Operation Brock has returned to the M20 in Kent, ahead of the summer getaway.
The contraflow system will be in place on the M20 coastbound between Maidstone and Ashford for around 6 weeks, until 24 August 26, to mitigate widespread disruption caused by high summer holiday traffic volumes and potential delays from the incoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric border checks.
It means there will be a reduced speed limit between Junctions 8 and 9, with dedicated lanes for HGVs to queue.
Rules for HGVs when Operation Brock is active:
• Europe-bound HGVs must follow designated routes on the M20/A20.
• Drivers attempting to bypass the system can be turned around and fined.
• Drivers are advised to carry enough food, water, and supplies because delays can be lengthy.

The Operation Brock contraflow system is designed to keep traffic on the M20 and other roads in Kent moving when there is disruption to travel across the English Channel.

27/07/2026

Important update to inaccessible battery declarations

Operators of heavy vehicles carrying dangerous goods are now required to declare the reasons why starter/auxiliary batteries (not batteries used for propulsion) are inaccessible at the time of ADR test.

Why the form has been updated
The form has been changed because some batteries are being declared as inaccessible, even though they are accessible at the time of the ADR inspection.
The update will make sure that the declaration process is used appropriately, supporting more efficient ADR testing.

What you need to do
The declaration should only be completed if the starter/auxiliary batteries are inaccessible.
Where the starter/auxiliary batteries are inaccessible, you are now required to provide the reasons why the batteries have been declared inaccessible.
If the starter/auxiliary batteries are accessible, you do not need to complete the declaration in ADRIII & ADR III (S) application forms.

Apply for an ADR test to allow a vehicle to carry dangerous or hazardous goods in bulk on the road.