RHA calls on DfT to solve coach PSVAR conundrum

We have urged officials to find a solution to the issues coach operators are experiencing as they struggle to meet the demand for Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) for compliant coaches.

In a meeting held yesterday (Monday 14 June), key RHA figures reinforced the message to the Department for Transport (DfT) that there aren’t enough ‘accessible’ coaches to meet the needs of home-to-school services which could mean buses being deployed in the coming school year.

We’re determined to ensure that the safety which coach travel provides isn’t undermined, and that the use of buses – which often don’t have seat belts – is not appropriate in most instances.

Our industry is fully committed to full accessibility, and we stressed that we can’t achieve this through coach design alone. The right passenger embarking infrastructure plays a key role in making journeys accessible.

We immediate need some certainty around the ending of exemptions in July so operators, schools, local authorities and parents can plan ahead with some certainty, we told them.

We’ll shortly publish our recommendations for long-term resolutions to the issues coach operators are experiencing with PSVAR, which will support operators and others to ensure journeys are accessible. We’ve developed these steps with our RHA Coaches members.

We’ve also pledged our support to help develop a ‘roadmap’ addressing demands the industry is likely to face, including PSVAR, the post-COVID recovery, and decarbonisation This will draw on the extensive experience available to us in this field.

Last week we called on Emma Hardy MP to continue pressing ministers for more support for our sector as firms emerge from the COVID crisis. We discussed driver recruitment, getting passengers back on board and access to clean air zone (CAZ) funding.

Birmingham’s CAZ charges are now in force. Non-compliant coaches and HGVs face £50 daily charges. Vans failing to meet the standard will be liable for £8 daily fees.