Bus regulations threaten children’s school buses

Oct 4 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

THOUSANDS of Wirral children with special needs could be unable to get to school next year because a new law will class their buses as taxis, it was claimed last night.

John Watson, manager of specialist transport firm EA Beck, said the regulations, operative from 2008, could force them and similar firms out of business.

They have been told their current council contracts will end unless all their drivers are licensed as taxi drivers.

They say this will cost thousands of pounds, and Mr Watson said his company may also have to replace vehicles with newer ones.

He added: “Anyone looking at our vehicles can see they are nothing like taxis. Yet this will mean our drivers also have to take the Knowledge Test even though they do the same route every day.”

They had offered to re-badge their vehicles to make it clear they were school buses, but the council had not replied. He said: “If they gave us an extra year to prepare it might make it easier.”

Cllr Phil Davies, Wirral Council cabinet member for children's services, said the authority would help the companies in the run-up to the changeover but added: “It’s something we have to do by law.”

He understood some of the firms’ concerns about costs, but said his priority was the safety of children.