Operators: Ignore PSVAR legislation at your own peril

In response to the letter from Richard Worth regarding forced PSVAR compliance.

I take on board the points made by Richard but unfortunately he fails to understand the concept of the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in 2000.

The industry has had 20 years to prepare for this introduction. In fact, a lot of vehicles became ‘in scope’ in 2005, but that seems to have been ignored for years.

The main purpose of PSVAR is inclusion. The ability for wheelchair-bound and disabled passengers to ride along with able bodies.

The Act came in 20 years ago. How can it possibly be changed now?

Several companies have already spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to comply with the new law (it is not a regulation) and invested in their businesses.

Sometimes it’s time to pop on the big boy pants and invest in your future – and increase your rates to account for this. It’s about time rates increased.

As I said above, this is a law, not a regulation. It isn’t advisory.

The fines could be draconian against your business – it is, after all, a criminal offence not to comply, and remember that any criminal offence has to be declared to the Traffic Commissioner.

How would that affect your ‘good repute’? I think you know the answer.

For a bit of extra clarification, not all home to school travel has been given a period of good grace.

If you operate a privately funded, independent route then it was in scope from 1 January. So, if you have not got a PSVAR vehicle on that, then you are operating illegally.

And yes… I know some are.

Tuorum periculo. It’s your risk.

Peter Lewis

Independent transport consultant