Having followed the various debates surrounding the use of passenger carrying vehicles (PCVs) under Section 19 permits vis-à-vis regular Public Service Vehicles (PSV) – I am beginning to believe that if a passenger is killed in or by a S19 community transport vehicle making a not-for-profit non-commercial journey, rather than a proper PSV, that person will receive greater credit towards being considered pious in the afterlife, for I can think of no other reason for some of the arguments being put forward.
If it is considered necessary to regulate the operators and drivers of vehicles with more than eight seats, it cannot be sensible to vary the risk to passengers by requiring operators to meet differing standards of financial standing, driver training and behaviour, etc., simply because they are constituted differently.
After all, one would not countenance turning a blind eye to a community minibus running a red light on the grounds that not-for-profit organisations cannot be expected to meet similar standards to the rest of us.
If there is to be regulation of PCVs and their operators and drivers, presumably in the interests of the safety of passengers and other road users, all should be subjected to exactly the same rules and regulations.
Charles S Marshall, Nuneaton