Two regulations now shape which vehicles can take which work. Get them right and you qualify for more dispatches. Get them wrong and you risk DVSA and Traffic Commissioner action.
PSVAR: the home-to-school exemption runs to 10 August 2030
The DfT's new exemptions started on 11 August 2026 and last four years. The DfT has stated it has no plans for further exemptions after 10 August 2030, so treat that date as final.
Who is covered: coaches on closed-door home-to-school work only. Rail replacement can no longer be exempted.
The four conditions you must keep
- Keep a minimum PSVAR-compliant share of your whole coach fleet. DVSA set your personal minimum from your 1 May 2026 figures, using the table below. It is stated on your exemption certificate.
- Supply a compliant coach on valid request within two calendar months, where you have one available, and do not charge more for it than you would for a standard coach.
- From 1 February 2027, new coaches over 22 passengers must be PSVAR-enabled on any service. This covers coaches first registered from that date, and coaches pre-registered from 10 August 2026 but delivered on or after 1 February 2027.
- Answer any DfT or DVSA request for fleet data fully, accurately and on time.
How your minimum was worked out
DVSA assessed how many compliant coaches your school and rail fleet should have had on 1 May 2026:
| School and rail fleet on 1 May 2026 | Compliant coaches required |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 coaches | 1 |
| 6 to 9 coaches | 2 |
| 10 to 29 coaches | 25% (rounded up) |
| 30 or more coaches | 35% (rounded up) |
That number, or your actual number if it is higher, is then divided by your total coach fleet. For example, 10 school coaches require 3 compliant ones. With a total fleet of 20, your minimum is 15% of the whole fleet.
One to watch if you have a coach on order. Check delivery dates. A coach delivered on or after 1 February 2027 must be PSVAR-enabled even if it was registered earlier. Long-term private hire of one month or more, and specialist touring layouts, remain exempt.
PSVAIR: the final phase started on 1 October 2026
Vehicles first used between 1 January 1973 and 30 September 2014 are now in scope. Every age of vehicle on an in-scope local service must give audio and visual information.
What passengers must hear and see: the route, the stopping places, any hail-and-ride sections, the end of the route, and any diversions.
Usually exempt: minibuses of 16 passengers or fewer, closed-door home-to-school services, excursions and tours, demand-responsive transport, and Section 19 community transport. Long-distance services need it on local sections only, and only where those sections make up at least 50% of the route.
What to do this month
- Add a check of announcements and next-stop displays to your daily walk-round for in-scope vehicles.
- Brief drivers on what to do if the system fails mid-service, and how to report it.
- Make sure your rail replacement vehicles are compliant before accepting work. The rail exemption ended on 31 July.
- Ask about portable kits for older vehicles. Some are leased monthly and can be shared across vehicles.
The average UK job is worth £1,002, and one vehicle class earns a quarter of all market value. Use these figures to check your own pricing and decide where to point spare capacity.
Vehicle class benchmarks
| Vehicle class | Share of jobs | Avg job | Share of value | Where it earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 seat executive saloon | 3.2% | £210 | Corporate transfers; feeds larger bookings | |
| 8 seat MPV | 5.1% | £340 | Airport runs and small crews | |
| 9 to 16 seat standard minibus | 11.4% | £480 | Schools and local runs | |
| 10 to 16 seat executive minibus | 8.7% | £650 | VIP and executive transfers | |
| 17 to 24 seat standard midi | 6.8% | £720 | Regional shuttles and sports clubs | |
| 17 to 24 seat executive midi | 7.2% | £910 | Corporate day charters and hospitality | |
| 25 to 37 seat standard midi | 9.3% | £980 | School day trips | |
| 25 to 37 seat executive midi | 10.5% | £1,220 | Tours and corporate groups | |
| 38 to 49 seat standard coach | 8.0% | £1,150 | Institutional and contract hire | |
| 50 to 53 seat standard or executive coach | 18.2% | £1,380 | Most requested class in the UK | |
| 54 to 61 seat standard coach | 7.4% | £1,520 | Large groups and rail replacement | |
| 62 to 70+ seat double decker or large coach | 4.2% | £1,850 | High-capacity student moves |
Bars are scaled against the leading class at 25.1%.
What this means for your fleet
- Executive spec pays. Executive versions earn 24 to 35% more per job than standard versions of the same size. The gap is widest on 10 to 16 seat minibuses, at £650 against £480.
- The 50 to 53 seater is the safest bet. It takes 25% of all market value. A spare one is the easiest vehicle to fill at short notice.
- Map your vehicles accurately. A 25 to 37 seat executive midi listed as standard is quoted roughly £240 less per job. Check your categories in the portal.
Demand by journey purpose
Most bookings and the best average yields. Executive vehicles win here.
Fills early mornings and off-peak gaps between bigger jobs.
Schools, weddings and private social, sports and tours. Weddings remain high-margin weekend work, and are strong for regional and rural operators.
Platform job data, all UK regions, October 2026. The balance of 44.5% is the remainder once corporate and events and transfers are counted.
Back to contentsSection 3
Save the date: Euro Bus Expo 2026
We are heading to Birmingham, and we would love to see you. Come and meet the team, try our platform, and find out how we can grow your business together.
See DTE One and eCoachManager in action
DTE One is our cloud-based bus and coach management system, with the drivers' app included as standard. Come and see it alongside the full eCoachManager platform, and bring us your toughest scheduling problem.
Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 November 2026
Stand 325 · NEC Birmingham · Halls 17 to 19
Doors 9:30am · Close 5pm Tuesday and Wednesday, 3:30pm Thursday · Free entry
If you are already a Don't Travel Empty member, nothing changes for you. Your 24/7 passenger recovery, Master Maps, job matching, Coach Hire Directory listing and free Sell My Coach advertising all continue exactly as they are.
Five minutes in the portal keeps your Approved Supplier status active and puts you first in line for our high-value dispatches. Run through these five before the Expo.
- O-licence. Upload a current digital copy of your PSV operator's licence.
- Insurance. Upload your active Public Liability policy, £10m minimum, and your motor fleet policy.
- Vehicle classes. Map every vehicle to the right one of our 12 national classes. Executive and standard are quoted differently, so getting this wrong costs you money on every job.
- PSVAR tags. Tag your compliant vehicles. Only tagged vehicles are offered rail replacement and contract work, and since 31 July this is a legal requirement for rail replacement.
- Walk-round checks. Add the PSVAIR audio-visual check for any vehicle on in-scope local work.
Section 5
Dates for your diary
| Date | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 Nov 2026 | Euro Bus Expo, NEC Birmingham | Visit Stand 325 |
| 1 Feb 2027 | New coaches over 22 passengers must be PSVAR-enabled on any service | Check delivery dates on any coach on order |
| From Apr 2027 | DfT post-implementation review of PSVAIR expected | Watch this newsletter for updates |
| 10 Aug 2030 | Home-to-school PSVAR exemptions expire, with no plans to renew | Plan fleet replacement now |
Next month in Operator Direct
Expo highlights and photos, the first month-on-month price movements by vehicle class, and the winter peak outlook for Christmas parties and rail engineering works.
Got a question you would like answered here, or a story from your depot? Email the operations desk. We read every one.
Back to contentsTalk to us
Nationwide: +44 330 174 0598
Sources
- GOV.UK: Apply for an exemption from PSVAR for home-to-school coaches, updated 9 September 2026
- EVM: What is PSVAIR and what do I need to know about it?
- routeone: PSVAIR brings benefits and challenges alike for coach and bus, 17 May 2026
- routeone: DfT seeks pathway to compliance for PSVAIR on rail replacement
- NEC: Euro Bus Expo
- Market benchmarks: platform job data. All prices exclude VAT and tolls.
