South Yorkshire: Police launching crackdown on school transport

Buses, coaches, minibuses and taxis will be checked as part of Operation Coachman, a nationwide initiative run by the Association of Chief Police Officers, from tomorrow (Monday)

It aims to ensure that vehicles carrying schoolchildren are roadworthy and conform to various legislation.

Alongside representatives from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Department for Work and Pensions and local authority licensing officers, roads policing officers will be out across South Yorkshire assessing the safety and legality of the vehicles transporting pupils to school.

Sergeant Andy Whittaker, from the roads policing team, said: “The safety of the vehicles carrying our region’s children to their places of education is incredibly important.”

“Police and other agencies will be conducting high visibility patrols and checking as many passenger carrying vehicles as possible in the coming month to make sure that these vehicles are roadworthy.”

“We will be conducting a thorough examination, looking at everything from insurance to licensing and driver suitability, so we can be assured that students are travelling to school and college in the safest vehicles.”

Drivers who fall foul of the law may have a prohibition order placed on their vehicle by VOSA and they, or their company, could face further penalties depending on the breach of regulation.