PSVAIR can help the coach and bus industry but the countdown is on for operators to ensure all remaining vehicles comply, writes Graham Vidler
It’s a guiding principle for our industry that public transport is for everybody.
That includes people who are hard of hearing, who have poor eyesight or who face many other everyday accessibility challenges.
Around 16 million people in the UK are disabled. It’s down to us, as operators, to make sure coaches and buses are manageable for all.
So the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) supports the principle behind the government’s Public Service Vehicles Accessible Information Regulations (PSVAIR).
The rules, which require route and stop announcements in audiovisual formats, might appear to be straightforward.
On the face of things, the information to be delivered is similar to that provided on board trains.
But, of course, coaches and buses behave differently from trains, with more complicated routes and timetables, so it’s not always easy to ensure that announcements are triggered at the mandated times.
It’s down to us, as operators, to make sure coaches and buses are manageable for all
Equipment for audible and visual announcements needs to be procured carefully on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis – there isn’t a simple “one-size-fits-all” piece of kit that can fit into any coach or bus.
And it’s important that it’s simple and straightforward to programme the equipment, particularly when a vehicle isn’t doing the same standard local service every day.
CPT’s involvement in talking to the Department for Transport (DfT) about this goes back as far as 2018.
We have been constructive throughout, seeking not only to point out challenges but also to liaise closely with officials in finding workable solutions.
The regulations were formally introduced in 2023, for implementation between 2024 and 2026.
The following year, CPT ran a number of face-to-face workshops around the country to raise awareness, not only among operators but also suppliers to the industry too, and we’ve provided regular updates and reminders on the importance of these new rules.
Among the forums we’ve been using to dig deep into this area is a Bus Open Data Service working group, which has helped to stimulate discussion on how PSVAIR-compliant announcements can be integrated with other systems – such as Ticketer and the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) stop database.
We’re also liaising with CPT members through our Road Operations Committee to ensure that the supply, installation and programming of equipment is closely monitored, with feedback given to DfT.
A key point of discussion concerns rail-replacement coach services that have an exemption from technical PSVAIR requirements until the end of July.
We’ve been working closely with colleagues in the rail industry, including the Rail Delivery Group, on how to ensure compliance, although the situation is complicated, with not all services within scope.
There are also specific dates that operators need to be aware of when exemptions end for older vehicles – on 1 October, the final phase of vehicles will be brought into scope, capturing those first used prior to October 2014. Ministers have been clear that there will be no further exemptions.
Sometimes, portable solutions may be helpful and could make an older coach or bus compliant while limiting cost and avoiding the need for permanent change to vehicle interiors.
Our work has also taken in legal advice. Subject matter experts from Backhouse Jones, a law firm with a speciality in transport, delivered a webinar in April on the scope of PSVAIR and on associated driver training.
To try to keep things simple, CPT is launching a quick reference checklist to allow members, suppliers and stakeholders to check that any vehicle, and any system, complies with the basic requirements.
It’s a transition that has had its challenges – but we will get there. Ultimately, the principle is sound.
These regulations will do more than simply benefit customers with accessibility needs – they will also help our industry to provide more confident journeys for all.
