A coach dealership tells routeone that it recently sold a batch of well-used vehicles off scheduled work. They were of a type that until recently was not considered a desirable second-hand purchase. But they could have been moved on twice over. That they are PSVAR compliant is the reason for their vast increase in appeal.
Coach PSVAR is not a new thing. Far from it. But a recent bout of interest among local authorities, the rail industry and central government has placed it at the top of the agenda for most coach operators with interests in the home to school sector.
News of a temporary exemption for an element of such work, brokered by the Confederation of Passenger Transport, was welcomed cautiously by some operators. Perhaps it will lead to further relaxations.
But to others it is not such a positive. Nor is the potential for further exemptions. They are the operators that have devoted time and money to preparing for a transition to PSVAR compliance.
Their thoughts will hold little sway with DfT. Its decision, while well-intentioned, is largely to the benefit of local authorities. It protects the income generated on contracted services where a small number of spare seats are sold to offset the cost of statutory home to school provision.
What’s become crystal clear is that coach PSVAR is not going away. It’s here, as it has been for many years. The government expects operators to comply with it if they do not do so already.
So the circus surrounding PSVAR in coaches will continue. And make no mistake: Those five letters represent one of the biggest challenges that the coach industry has faced for years.
