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Operator Evidence Survey: 18 and 19 year old driving restrictions

 

This questionnaire is intended for completion by bus and coach operators only.

It contains 22 questions to help the Department for Transport assess the current situation around driver shortages and driver safety (with a particular focus on new and young drivers).

Your responses to these questions will inform our decision on whether the current restrictions on 18 and 19‑year‑old drivers should be removed or amended.

We strongly encourage you to complete this survey to the best of your ability as, without a robust evidence base that weighs operator need against safety concerns, we will be unable to effectively evaluate your proposal.

Question 23 contains a free‑text box for any additional information relevant to this questionnaire, should you be unable to provide a full response to a question in the box provided.

1. Operator name: *

 

2. Are you:

 

3. What are your driver age splits?


Please state the number of drivers you have in each age group - include any temporary or agency workers driving your vehicles.


This data will be used to understand the average driver age and the need for recruitment of young people into the job role.

18-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-65
65-69
70-75
75+
Total number of drivers
 

4. How many of the following operations have you reduced due to driver shortages over the last 6 months?
Please do not include any revenue losses caused by factors other than driver shortages. 

This data will help us understand whether, in cases where you do not have driver vacancies, your business operations have been reduced as a result of driver shortages. Turnover is used instead of the number of trips to account for varying revenue between trips.

School contracts (daily return trips) 
Private hires 
One day excursions 
Tours (own programme or third party) 
Scheduled trips for NX, Flixbus, etc 
Other trips/jobs 
 

5. What percentage of your turnover is from regular services under 50km?   

‘Regular services’ include home-to-school operations or local services.

This data will be used to understand the impact of removing the current licensing restrictions placed on 18 and 19 year old drivers. 

 

6. What surveys and forums exist for coach operators to share data?

E.g. employment data, route data, training data/ working groups / online forums

 

7. What minimum age have/ would you set for driver applications? 

This data will be used to understand whether application levels from 18/19‑year‑olds reflects interest or minimum age requirements.

 

8. If you have set, or would set, a minimum age for driver applications, is this influenced by the current driving restrictions for 18 and 19 year olds? 

This data will be used to understand if restrictions were removed, whether you would reduce the minimum age for applicants to 18.

 

9. How many applications did you receive from 18 and 19 year olds in your most recent recruitment campaign, compared to the total number of applications received?

This data will be used to understand interest from 18 and 19 year olds in becoming bus or coach drivers.

18-19 years old
20+ years old
 

10. What was your turnover in the last 6 months?

This data will be used to inform the next question.

 

11. What percentage of your turnover in the last 6 months was work solely within the UK, compared to international work?  

This data will be used to understand the potential impact of removing licensing restrictions for 18 and 19 year olds on driver shortages, as they would only be able to drive within the UK.

UK (entirely)
International
 

12. What steps have you taken to increase driver recruitment, and what was the impact of these?

This data will be used to understand whether alternative measures, aside from removing restrictions for 18‑ and 19‑year‑old drivers, could help reduce driver shortages.

 

13. Are you aware of any other countries that allow 18 and 19 year olds to drive a bus or coach without restrictions?

Please include links to sources.

 

14. Which CPC modules do you provide to your drivers or require them to complete?

Please include topic areas, module names and/or service providers.

This data will be used to understand the periodic training drivers receive. 

 

15. In addition to mandatory training, do you provide any additional training or impose any restrictions on young or novice drivers?

This data will be used to understand the full training drivers receive.

 

16. How could your current training be adapted or enhanced for 18 and 19 year old drivers? 

This data will be used to understand any additional training that could ensure the safe removal of the current restrictions.

 

17. Are there any existing safety related processes that could be improved or standardised to benefit all drivers? 

This data will be used to understand potential improvements to driver safety.

 

18. What percentage of your vehicles are fitted with driver monitoring technology?

This information will be used to understand current uptake and potential use for 18 and 19 year olds.

 

19. If your vehicles are fitted with driver monitoring technology please outline the type of technology used and its purpose.

E.g. technology - telematics or outward facing cameras, purpose - driver performance reviews or reviewed following accidents

This information will be used to understand the current and potential uses.

 

20. How is drivers' performance reviewed?  

E.g. quarterly 1:1 meetings, refresher training following incidents

This data will be used to understand how drivers progress is reviewed once they have completed their DCPC. 

 

21. Are novice drivers mentored or supervised before driving passengers alone? 

This data will be used to understand the current procedures.

 

22. If novice drivers are mentored or supervised, how long is this for? 

E.g. a set number of driving hours, a set number of weeks, or until they complete a set amount of trips or trip types. 

 

23. Please use this text box to expand on or provide context to any of your answers.

Please only include information on driver shortages or young bus/coach drivers and do not duplicate any responses already given.