The average age of bus, coach and lorry drivers could fall as a shortage has led to proposals from the government to lower minimum age requirements for those behind the wheel.
Under current rules, qualified drivers under 21 are restricted to driving shorter routes of up to 31 miles, ruling out jobs on most intercity coach services and many rural bus routes.
The rule may be relaxed after an eight-week consultation, which started yesterday (Thursday 11 April) with ministers saying changes would be implemented as soon as parliamentary time allows, if the proposals were accepted.
The Department for Transport said industry data estimated the national bus driver shortage to be 6.6% and the coach driver shortage to be 13.6%.
The Department for Transport consultation also sets out a proposal on training; to alter the regulations to allow prospective bus and HGV drivers to start theory and off-road training before receiving their provisional licence. This will help tackle shortages in the passenger transport and haulage sector, it said. The changes would not affect safety but would allow drivers to complete training and start work sooner, said the DfT.
The minister for roads, Guy Opperman, said the proposals would go “some way to continue to ease driver shortages, delivering more reliable bus and coach services and a more resilient supply chain”. He added it would encourage diversity in the sector.
“The consultation, we think, will enhance jobs, it will address some of the driver shortage, and it will provide a proper career pathway for the young people,” said Opperman.
After the Covid pandemic there was an acute shortage of drivers for freight and passenger services and although these have eased the Confederation of Passenger Transport said the demand for drivers was likely to grow.
Graham Vidler, the chief executive of the CPT, said: “As 18-year-olds are allowed to drive an articulated lorry already, there is a clear case for allowing them also to drive all types of coach and bus services.”
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