Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the relationship between the age of commercial minibus drivers and collision risk; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the minimum age requirements for driving a commercial minibus.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the relationship between the age of commercial minibus drivers and collision risk. The Driver Licensing Call for Evidence published in 2023 considered a range of driver licensing issues. The summary of responses noted that the available evidence was not sufficiently robust to support changes to policy, and no further action was taken. That exercise did not specifically assess the relationship between age and collision risk for commercial minibus drivers.

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the potential merits of changing the minimum age requirements for driving a commercial minibus on a professional basis. Driver licensing policy, including minimum age requirements, is kept under review. Any future changes would be informed by a robust evidence base, including consideration of road safety impacts.