Traffic commissioners end pandemic relaxations for bus services

A relaxation of vehicle maintenance schedules and extended temporary bus schedules allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic will come to end, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain have said.

The commissioners have updated their coronavirus advice document for operators as restrictions ease. The document includes an end to relaxed preventative maintenance inspection (PMI) intervals from 1 September 2020.

The traffic commissioners had agreed a risk-based approach during the COVID-19 pandemic where operators unable to access maintenance facilities could extend the usual maintenance intervals for their vehicles. As restrictions begin to lift, the commissioners have taken the decision to end this policy.

The update states that operators can stick to the extended maintenance schedules for their vehicles until the first inspection after 1 September. After that inspection, they must revert to the interval specified on their operator’s licence.

The other major updates concern local bus services. The most important of these is extending the temporary local bus service processes until 4 January 2021 to allow operators opportunity to consider any permanent changes that may be required.

Another change is an increase in the notice period for service variations for Local Authorities from 24 hours to 72 hours in England and Scotland. This change took effect in Scotland on 29 June 2020 and will take effect from 3 August 2020 in England. There is no equivalent notice period in Wales for Local Authorities.

Other updates include guidance about:

• amending a registered local bus service to become a school or works bus service
• the use of additional vehicles on services

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advice for Heavy Goods (HGV) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Operators