Over 17,300 Section 19 permits of standard and large bus types and more than 900 Section 22 permits are current and have been issued by the Traffic Commissioners (TCs), data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows.
Details of such permits in issue are updated each Wednesday. They do not include Section 19 standard permits issued by other designated bodies. In addition to local authorities (LAs), a statutory instrument notes that there are 69 such bodies.
While those issuers supply data to TCs, DfT cautions that there is no way to verify its accuracy. Designated bodies may not issue S19 large bus or S22 permits, which are solely within TCs’ remit.
According to the most recent figures from 14 February, 16,843 Section 19 standard permits that are current have been issued by TCs. 465 Section 19 large bus permits and 920 Section 22 permits are also in issue. Permits last for a maximum of five years.
The largest user of permits granted by TCs is OneBus Ltd. It holds 290 Section 19 standard authorisations and is a not-for-profit service for educational charities. For S19 large bus permits, LAs are prominent among those with higher numbers. With the most is the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, at 48.
Among holders of Section 22 permits for community bus services, LAs are again at the forefront. The largest user is Nottinghamshire County Council, with 57.
Section 19 and Section 22 permits are issued to organisations that provide transport on a not-for-profit basis. Both exempt the holder from requiring an O-Licence to deliver those services.
Use of S19 permits directly by schools is controversial. Teachers’ union NASUWT and the Belt Up Schoolkids pressure group both advocate an end to what the former calls “a loophole” allowing schools to transport pupils on schools’ own minibuses that are driven by teachers under a permit. The government recently said it has no plans to act on that call.
Data on TC-issued permits available here.
