Open consultation

Amending licensing restrictions for 18- and 19-year-old bus and coach drivers

From:: Department for Transport
Published:: 6 November 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Summary

Seeks views on the proposals to amend licensing restrictions for 18- and 19-year-old bus and coach drivers in Great Britain.

This consultation closes at
11:59pm on 18 December 2026

Consultation description

Bus and coach drivers aged 18 and 19 can only carry passengers on regular services under 50km in the UK. Operators have stated that this restricts their ability to recruit young drivers and address driver shortages.

The government is, therefore, seeking views on whether the current restrictions should be amended. Any changes would need to balance opportunities for young people and the needs of the sector with maintaining high standards of road safety. The consultation does not propose a preferred option and seeks views on a range of potential approaches.

We are considering 3 options for amending licensing restrictions for bus and coach drivers in this age group:

keep the current restrictions but allow 18- and 19-year-old drivers who undertake additional training to drive non-regular services and regular services over 50km
remove the current restrictions and require operators to use technology to monitor 18- and 19-year-olds
remove the current restrictions and publish guidance for 18- and 19-year-old bus and coach drivers and their employers

The government could implement one or more of these options, as elements of the different options could be combined.

Documents