Run a local bus service
Exemptions
You do not have to register a bus service if all of the following apply:
- someone other than you or your agent is responsible for arranging the journey and bringing the passengers together
- the journey is not advertised in advance to the general public
- all passengers travel together to or from the same place - for example a school or factory
- passengers pay the same fare no matter how far they travel
School or college bus services
If you operate a bus service provided by a local education authority in England or Wales, you may not have to register it.
You do not need to register a service if the only passengers who pay fares are either:
- studying at a school or college
- supervising pupils or students
- teachers or assistants working at the school or college
If other people can also use the service, it must be registered.
Other exemptions
You do not need to register:
- a replacement bus service (for example when a train service is temporarily cancelled and a bus is used instead) provided under an agreement with the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers or the National Assembly for Wales
- excursions or tours - unless they operate once a week or more for at least 6 weeks in a row
An excursion or tour is where passengers travel together on a journey, with or without breaks, from one or more places to one or more places and back.