Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current legislation on the number of hours that bus drivers are permitted to safely work.

Most bus drivers are subject to general working time rules and domestic drivers’ hours rules, which among other things limit daily driving time to 10 hours and require a daily rest of 10 hours (which can be reduced to 8.5 hours three times per week). Some (generally coach) drivers are subject to different or additional EU rules. Operators and drivers must also discharge their wider legal obligations, including health and safety requirements and avoiding driving whilst ill or tired. This regulatory regime enables operators and drivers to work safely. Statistics show that fatal accidents involving bus or coaches have been falling over time, from 120 in 2007 to 55 in 2017.