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Operators who applied for an exemption from the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) requirements for eligible home-to-school services should now be checking the latest position on their applications.
The UKCOA has provided a further update following discussions with the DfT and the DVSA.
The DfT has now published a list of operators and vehicle identification numbers (VINs) approved for a PSVAR home-to-school exemption. Operators who applied should check the list to confirm that:
- their company is listed;
- the correct VINs are recorded against the company; and
- all vehicles for which an exemption was expected are included.
However, not appearing on the published list does not necessarily mean that an application has been refused.
Applications assessed as eligible but not yet listed
DVSA has confirmed that some applications have already been assessed as eligible, but the relevant vehicles do not yet appear on the DfT’s published list.
Operators in this position do not need to be concerned at this stage. The vehicles are expected to be added to the list shortly.
In the meantime, operators should retain the email from DVSA confirming that their application has been assessed as eligible. This confirmation should be kept as evidence that the exemption has been approved while the published list is being updated.
Operators still waiting for a decision
Some operators have not yet received notification of the outcome of their application.
According to the latest information from UKCOA, DVSA is working through applications where the Operator Licence number was entered incorrectly. In particular, some applications did not include the required leading zeros, meaning that the licence number could not initially be matched against the Traffic Commissioners’ database.
These applications are now being assessed manually so that the correct licence number can be identified and updated.
Due to the volume of applications affected, there has been a delay in notifications being issued.
Operators who have not yet received a decision should therefore continue to wait for DVSA to contact them.
Applications that have been refused
A number of operators have received notification that their applications were not approved.
This remains an area of ongoing discussion between UKCOA, DfT and DVSA. DfT is currently exploring options to allow affected operators to re-apply, with DVSA expected to notify operators directly once further information and a mechanism for re-application are available.
UKCOA has also been pressing for a practical way for affected applications to be reconsidered, highlighting the potential operational consequences where vehicles are unavailable for in-scope home-to-school services.
Operators whose applications have been refused should therefore keep their decision and application reference details and monitor further updates from DVSA.
What should operators do now?
Operators should:
- Check the DfT’s published list and confirm that the company and relevant VINs are correctly recorded.
- Keep any DVSA confirmation where an application has been assessed as eligible but the vehicle has not yet appeared on the published list.
- Await further notification from DVSA if an application is still being processed, particularly where there may have been an issue with the Operator Licence number.
- Retain details of any refused application and look out for further information about the proposed re-application process.
- Monitor further updates from DVSA, DfT and UKCOA, as the position continues to develop.
The exemption process is particularly important for operators providing home-to-school services, where the availability of suitable vehicles can have a direct impact on the ability to fulfil contracts and transport pupils to and from school.
The latest position provides some reassurance for operators still waiting for confirmation, as an absence from the published list does not necessarily mean that an application has been unsuccessful. At the same time, operators who have received a refusal should remain alert for further information on the possibility of re-applying.
Backhouse Jones will continue to monitor developments around PSVAR and PSVAIR and provide further updates as the position becomes clearer.
Need advice on PSVAR compliance?
If you have questions about the PSVAR requirements may affect your operations, Backhouse Jones’ specialist transport law team can provide advice tailored to your operation. Get in touch.