Passenger transport supplier policies and procedures guidance

Help with developing supplier policies

To join the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the Provision of Passenger Transport Services, you need to confirm that you hold a range of written policies and procedures which cover your transport operations.

These include:

  • Maintenance of vehicles
  • Recruitment of personnel (if you employ staff)
  • Safeguarding
  • Health and safety
  • Handling customer complaints
  • Dealing with emergency incidents and breakdowns
  • Business continuity

Full details of the required policies are outlined in clause 2 of the DPS specification.

These written policies may be requested from you and reviewed at any point during the lifetime of the DPS.

The following guidance is to assist you with developing these policies.

The information on this page is correct at the time of writing. It may be adjusted to adapt to changing guidance and legislation.
Vehicle maintenance

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • Daily vehicle checks
  • Any pre-scheduled maintenance services on your vehicles
  • MOT arrangements
  • Any defect reporting systems that are in place
  • How you arrange and undertake spot checks on owner driver vehicles
  • Details of your garage/mechanic contact to deal with maintenance and swift repairs

Useful links:

Recruitment of personnel

Only required if you employ staff.

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

Recruitment of personnel

  • How you determine your personnel are of suitable standard to provide your service
  • A list of which documents are checked upon recruitment (this may vary depending on role)
  • What references are requested from personnel and how these are followed up

Training of personnel

  • How you ensure personnel understand company policies and procedures
  • What training personnel receive in relation to emergency procedures, reporting of safeguarding concerns, customer care and manual handling
  • Details of any other training provided

Conduct of personnel

  • Details of any disciplinary processes in place

Useful links:

Safeguarding

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • Your organisation’s commitment to protecting all children and vulnerable adults

Safeguarding policies

  • The policies and procedures your organisation have in place to keep children and vulnerable adults safe
  • How you ensure that passengers are not abused, neglected, harmed or exploited
  • An awareness of appropriate language, conduct and behaviour to use with children and vulnerable adults
  • The steps you have in place to manage the risks surrounding dropping off/picking up children and vulnerable adults

Responding to protection concerns

  • How and to whom personnel should report any safeguarding concerns
  • How personnel are made aware of the reporting process
  • Any relevant training provided to personnel
  • How safeguarding accusations against personnel are dealt with

Heath and safety

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • How you ensure good health and safety management
  • Any risk management processes, including risk assessments
  • How you promote health and safety to prevent injury and loss in the workplace (only if you employ staff or work with self-employed drivers)
  • Contact details for your health and safety officer
  • An outline of your incident reporting procedure

Useful links:

Customer complaints

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • How complaints are dealt with; for example time scales and whether the complaint was through phone or in writing
  • How you gather and collate evidence to assist in clarifying details of the complaint
  • How you keep a record of all complaints received and the actions taken to resolve them
  • How you report any complaints or compliments internally or to your service purchaser
  • How you would reach an outcome of a complaint and how this would be communicated to all parties involved
  • How lessons learnt will be integrated into training or re-training programmes, and the steps you would put in place to prevent similar complaints or allegations re-occurring

Breakdowns and emergencies

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • Vehicle evacuation procedure
  • How personnel ensure the safety of passengers during a breakdown and in an emergency
  • Communication procedures
  • How you arrange onward travel
  • Recording and reporting procedures

Useful links:

Business continuity

Your policy/procedure should include details of:

  • How you assess the risk of being able to undertake and complete any journey in adverse weather conditions

Maintaining services

  • How services will be maintained in the event of unplanned vehicle maintenance or breakdown
  • How services will be maintained in the event of technology failure such as loss of internet or telephone lines
  • How services will be maintained in the event of planned or unplanned staff absence, for example, staff illness or holidays
  • Details about replacement vehicles, staff cover arrangements, telephone, and computer cover

Vehicles hired from another operator

  • How vehicles are maintained in a safe, roadworthy condition
  • Document checks, document recording and follow up checks on expiry
  • Frequency of maintenance checks whilst the vehicle is being hired
  • Any two-way reporting process in place between hirer and owner in regard to vehicle maintenance issues