Safety, compliance and legal requirements

Minibus and small vehicle permits

Community transport services that charge passengers or receive funding may require a permit under UK law. The most common options are:

Section 19 Permit: For not-for-profit organisations providing transport to members or service users, covering minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats and not requiring a public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence
Section 22 Permit: For community transport services open to the general public, allowing scheduled services and may be used for dial-a-ride schemes

You may need a permit if:

your organisation owns or leases the vehicle
passengers contribute to the cost of the journey (even via donations or grants or as part of a larger cost such as annual subscription or the cost for a day out where part of this contributes towards the cost of transport)

View more information for minibus operators.

Driver licensing

Drivers must meet specific licensing requirements depending on the type of vehicle and service:

Car schemes: Drivers must hold a valid UK driving licence, meet age and insurance criteria, and have no disqualifying endorsements.
Minibus drivers: Not all car licence holders can drive a minibus - drivers may need additional training or a D1 entitlement depending on the vehicle and whether they receive payment for driving.

Passenger safety

All passengers must be transported safely and in accordance with the law:

Seat belts must be worn by all passengers unless they have a medical exemption. Drivers are responsible for ensuring children under 14 are wearing seat belts.

Child car seats or restraints must be used when transporting children, depending on the vehicle and age of the child.

See RoSPA’s guidance on seat belts and child restraints and GOV.UK rules on child car seats for more information.

Data protection

If you keep records of drivers or passengers, you must follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This means:

providing a data protection statement on any form that collects personal details
keeping data secure
not sharing data without consent

For more information, visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Insurance

Community transport providers must have appropriate insurance to protect passengers, volunteers, and the organisation itself. This includes:

public liability insurance, which covers incidents involving passengers, such as injuries while boarding or exiting a vehicle
employer’s liability insurance is required if volunteers are formally engaged or if staff are employed
motor insurance to cover the correct use of the vehicle (e.g. social use, hire or reward). Standard policies may not be sufficient for community transport.

Some umbrella organisations offer group insurance schemes tailored to community transport. Your local CVS can advise on suitable policies.

DBS checks and safeguarding

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are essential for protecting vulnerable passengers and ensuring your service meets legal and ethical standards.

Who needs a DBS check?

Enhanced DBS checks are required for:

volunteer car drivers
minibus drivers transporting vulnerable adults or children
coordinators or staff with unsupervised access to sensitive data or passengers
standard DBS checks may apply to administrative roles with limited contact

Use the DBS Update Service to keep checks current and portable. Your local CVS or the Good Neighbours Network may be able to process checks on your behalf.

Safeguarding policies

DBS checks are only one part of a robust safeguarding approach. Your organisation should also:

develop a safeguarding policy that outlines how you protect children and vulnerable adults
appoint a Safeguarding Lead or designated person
provide training for staff and volunteers on recognising and reporting concerns
maintain clear procedures for handling disclosures or incidents

You can find templates and guidance in the CTA Toolkit and from your local CVS.