The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has called on the Government to exempt closed-door school services from Bus Open Data (BODS) requirements.

In a paper shared with the Department for Transport, CPT argues that current regulations place an unnecessary burden on operators of these services, leading to increased costs, administrative complexity, and potential safety concerns.

London, 28 January 2024 – The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has called on the Government to exempt closed-door school services from Bus Open Data (BODS) requirements.
In a paper shared with the Department for Transport, CPT argues that current regulations place an unnecessary burden on operators of these services, leading to increased costs, administrative complexity, and potential safety concerns.

Key arguments outlined in the paper include:
•    No public benefit: Closed-door school services are not intended for public use,            making the publication of their data on BODS irrelevant for passenger                                information.
•    Significant costs: Complying with BODS regulations, including the installation             of  vehicle tracking devices and data entry, imposes substantial costs on                         operators.
•    Operational challenges: The flexible nature of school schedules and frequent             last-minute changes make it difficult for operators to consistently meet BODS             requirements.
•    Safety concerns: Publishing real-time location data of school buses on public               platforms could potentially raise safety concerns for children.

CPT proposes several solutions, including exempting closed-door school services from BODS requirements entirely, exempting closed-door school services from registration requirements, and broadening the definition of "privately organised trips" to include more school services.
"Compelling closed-door school services to comply with BODS regulations is not only unnecessary, but also burdensome and potentially detrimental to the industry," said Gavin Miller, National Operations Manager at CPT. "We urge the Government to consider these changes to reduce costs for operators, improve compliance, and create a more level playing field for the school transport market."