Who is eligible for an exemption?
You can apply for an exemption from the public service vehicles accessibility regulations (PSVAR) if you operate coaches that provide closed door, home-to-school transport for eligible passengers.
Eligible passengers are defined as:
- a person receiving primary, secondary or further education or training at an educational establishment served by the service
- a person supervising or escorting any such person while they are using such transport or
- a person involved with the provision of education or training at that establishment
How to apply
To apply, you will need to provide:
- your contact details
- your operator (‘O’) licence number
- the vehicle identification number (VIN) for every coach used for home-to-school services from 1 August 2026, which is not PSVAR compliant
You will also need to provide the following figures, as of 1 May 2026:
- how many coaches you had in your overall fleet
- how many coaches you had in your overall fleet that were fully PSVAR compliant
- how many coaches you used or were available for use on home-to-school and rail replacement services
- how many coaches you used or were available for use on home-to-school and rail replacement services that were fully PSVAR compliant
The period for applications is 2 July 2026 to 7 August 2026.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) cannot guarantee that applications received after the deadline will be processed or that respective coaches will be included in an exemption order.
Form for operators to apply for an exemption from PSVAR for non-compliant coaches providing home-to-school transport.