The number of Section 19 permits in issue that were granted by the Traffic Commissioners (TCs) grew significantly in the first eight months of 2025, analysis of permit data has shown.
TCs are not the only party that can issue a Section 19 permit, but those authorised by other designated bodies are not included in the Commissioners’ tables.
Those show that as of 3 September, there were 18,354 TC-issued Section 19 permits current with 6,899 holders. That compares to 15,791 in issue with 6,032 holders on 1 January and 15,700 in issue with 5,905 holders on 29 August 2024.
The TCs publish their permit data weekly. Only they can issue Section 19 large bus and Section 22 permits. For the former, 513 permits with 62 holders were in issue on 3 September, identical figures to 1 January. Section 22 numbers saw 1,082 in issue with 304 holders on 3 September compared to 984 with 300 holders at the start of the year.
In 2025 to 3 September, the TCs issued 4,021 Section 19 permits to 1,492 applicants. Permits last for five years. Others expiring over those eight months gave the 2,563 net uplift of TC-issued Section 19 permits.
Data on Section 19 permits issued by designated bodies is unavailable and thus it cannot be ascertained whether parties granted permits by the TCs in 2025 previously obtained them from other sources. The overall total in issue cannot be calculated for the same reason.
The largest Section 19 permit issue by the TCs at 3 September were two authorisations of 275, both held by a school transport organisation. Various local authorities each held more than 50, via either one or multiple applications. Around half of the TC-granted applications in issue are for a single permit
For Section 19 large bus permits, the largest single grant in issue was 44 with the London Borough of Islington. Various local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland also held 20 or more such permits.
On Section 22, a grant of 60 to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – issued in April – is the largest single authorisation.
