Flexible Bus Route Registrations

What is a flexible service?
What’s the difference between a conventional and flexible service?
What do I need to apply for a local bus service route?
How can I apply for a route?
What types of flexible service can I offer?
How do I manage my service?
Do the changes to regulations affect my current bus registration application?
Additional Information

All flexibly routed local bus service routes must be registered with Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) prior to service beginning.

To run such a route, operators can also claim a Bus Service Operators Grant, offered by the Department for Transport .

What is a flexible service?

A flexible service is defined as one:

which serves one or more local communities or neighbourhoods within a specified geographical area;
which, is so flexible that it is not practicable to identify in advance all the roads to be used at any given time (NB: there may be fixed sections of the route but the vast majority of the journey is flexibly routed.);
which is provided primarily to carry passengers who have booked in advance and whose collective requirements determine the route of each journey even though that other persons may also be travelling;
where separate fares are paid of the general public; and
where separate fares are paid which do not vary according to the number of passengers carried on the journey.

Other local bus services are ‘standard’ (i.e. conventional) services. At the moment you can only run a flexibly-routed service in England & Wales. Scotland has its own different system of bus registration. If you plan to offer a route in London, please see the guidance note in Additional Information for more details.

What’s the difference between a conventional and flexible service?

Like a conventional registered service, a flexible service uses Buses to carry passengers at separate fares over short distances. In order to qualify and register as a flexible service, each passenger must be able to leave the bus within 24.15kms (15 miles) (measured in a straight line) from the place at which they were picked up.

However, unlike a conventional registration, operators of flexible services are not required to register a fixed route or timetable. Instead, individual passengers must pre-book their journey with the operator and the route and timings will vary according to those passengers’ needs. Operators must also keep records of each booking taken, and their on-the-road performance in providing the service. Operators can also specify a geographical area of operation within which they can provide fully flexible services.

What do I need to apply for a local bus service route?

New operators will need to apply for a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Operator’s Licence or, in the case of non-profit making bodies, a permit issued under Section 22 of the Transport Act 1985. See ‘Guide for Operators (PSV385) for more details. The PSV must display an operator’s disc in the window of each vehicle. Details on applying for your O Licence can be found in Operator Licensing Forms.

How can I apply for a route?

Applications go to the Traffic Area Offices that covers the majority of the area of operation or the majority of fixed stops (where there are any). Your correspondence address is needed but it can be changed at short notice and is a free change.

The area of operation must be shown on a map and be clearly defined - you can use simple boundaries i.e. roads, town boundaries or a square box etc. However it must not be too large (a route map of 1:50000 scale or better is acceptable). Fixed parts of the route (if there are any) must be shown on the map too. You do NOT have to have a published timetable, unless you want one, but seats must pre-booked. You can do this in a way that suits your business but you must make sure that potential passengers know how your booking system works.

What types of flexible service can I offer?

There are three main types of flexible service: many to 1 where you pick people up from several places (possibly their home) and take them to one location i.e. the local hospital. The opposite type is the 1 to many where you pick people up at one point but drop them off at several places. Finally there is the many to many service, which gives most flexibility, so you can pick up and drop off anywhere in your area of operation. Other examples are given in the guidebook listed in Additional Information.

To run these types of service you must provide enough information about your plans so that people know what to expect. So, you must display the following details on the bus and in your publicity material:

your flexible area of operation and that the service is open to the general public
the stopping arrangements at all your stops including any changes that happen at different times of the day
how bookings can be made (including any time limits ie 9am-5pm), how flexible stopping points will be identified, whether every customer’s demands will be met and if not, what happens then
the timetable at fixed stops and the way times will be allocated for flexible stops must be provided
how fares are worked out for each journey (this must be easy to understand and based on separate fares)

When you agree times with your passengers you have some freedom to arrive near to, rather than exactly on, the agreed time. So you will have a time window for collecting and delivering your passengers. This can be up to 20 minutes so you must make sure that your passengers know what to expect in advance.

How do I manage my service?

You MUST keep records of the bookings you accept i.e. the date and time you will pick up and drop off the passenger together with the actual times on the day. Also you must keep a note of the passenger’s name and contact details. These records MUST be kept for 12 months - an agent can keep them on your behalf. This may have an impact under the Data Protection Act so you should check out your responsibilities with them too.

Do the changes to regulations affect my current bus registration application?

New regulations affecting all bus services, community bus permit holders and flexible services came into force on 23 February 2004. Whilst they start then, they do not affect existing services until you make a variation application.