We are just over three months away from the next step in the minimum levels of compliance required for those who have a ‘special authorisation’ for vehicles used on home-to-school (H2S) and rail replacement services.
From 1 August, the following levels of PSVAR compliance will be required for the following fleet sizes:
- Band A (1-5 vehicles): At least 50% of the fleet partially compliant
- Band B (6-9 vehicles): At least one fully compliant vehicle and at least 50% of the rest of the fleet partially compliant
- Band C (10-29 vehicles): At least 15% of the fleet fully compliant and at least 50% of the rest of the fleet partially compliant
- Band D (30+ vehicles): At least 25% of the fleet fully compliant and at least 50% of the rest of the fleet partially compliant.
As a reminder, the “fleet” is just those vehicles that are used on H2S and rail replacement duties. Vehicles that are never used on this work (or are used on H2S services that do not carry any paying passengers) can be excluded from the fleet totals.
Partial compliance requires vehicles to comply with parts of PSVAR Schedule 3 as follows:
- Paragraph 2 (floors and gangways)
- Paragraph 3 (seats)
- Paragraph 4 (steps, excluding sub-paragraphs 1d, 1e, 1f, and 5)
- Paragraph 5 (handrails).
i.e. it does not include any requirement for a wheelchair lift or destination equipment.
If, since you applied for your exemption from PSVAR, your fleet used to provide H2S or rail replacement services has changed (either increased or decreased) and as such has moved you into a different band, you must notify the Department for Transport (DfT) at PSVAR@dft.gov.uk
These are important changes. For coach operators that are in bands B or C, the rules require fully compliant PSVAR coaches for the first time, and for band D there is a significant uplift in the number of coaches that need to be fully compliant.
If you don’t already have plans to meet these requirements by 1 August, I suggest you make this a priority in the immediate future, as I suspect the demand for fully compliant PSVAR vehicles will be high over the next few months.
I also suspect that there are some operators that were hoping for the outcome of the Call for Evidence on the PSVAR review before making any purchases, in case it changed the current exemption regime.
I am sorry to disappoint, but even if we hear something from DfT soon, it is unlikely to feature any immediate change, and another round of consultation on more specific proposals for PSVAR is likely.
And the timing of all of this? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but with local/mayoral elections on 2 May and the 2024 General Election now likely to take place in the autumn, I suspect that other more pressing issues will have priority.
I also don’t believe that it will be a priority for the incoming government, whichever party (or combination of parties) that may be.
I firmly believe the 2024 PSVAR levels of compliance for H2S and rail replacement will take place as planned and am fairly certain those proposed for 2025 will also happen.
Hopefully the position after 2025 may be clearer as that year progresses. We will keep you posted.
