Young people in the driving seat with plans to recruit more 18-19 year-old bus drivers

Young people are set to have more opportunities to train as bus and coach drivers, in a move to tackle youth unemployment and support economic growth.

A new Government consultation, launching today, sets out to boost job opportunities for school and college leavers.

This marks another step the Government is taking to help young people into work, consulting on new measures that would allow 18 and 19-year-old bus and coach drivers to operate long-haul services.

Currently, 18 and 19-year-olds are restricted to only driving 50km on buses and coaches. This limits opportunities for younger drivers, often leading to recruitment and retention problems within the industry, with many young drivers frustrated with the limits on their careers.

New rules could help the industry grow and deliver a wider variety of routes, boosting jobs and encouraging growth, meaning that young drivers would no longer be restricted to local bus routes, but could get behind the wheel of inter-city coach routes too. This follows steps taken in the rail industry, where 18 and 19-year-olds can qualify as train drivers, helping unlock opportunities for young people and driving growth.

Road safety will still be the priority, and the consultation will seek views on the best ways to protect new drivers and other road users, for example through more training, monitoring technology or and more guidance from bus and coach operators.

Buses and Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said:

“We want to clear the roadblocks that have been preventing too many young people from getting behind the wheel of a rewarding career.

“The proposed changes will help more 18 and 19-year-olds get into the bus and coach sector, giving them the opportunity to build skills, earn a living and develop a rewarding career, while maintaining the highest standards of road safety.”

With an aging workforce, it’s more important than ever to attract and retain younger workers into the industry, otherwise driver shortages could worsen over time as older drivers retire. This will give younger drivers more opportunities, encouraging more people into the industry whilst making processes easier for operators.

This consultation follows the Government’s campaign to encourage more people to become bus drivers earlier this year, amid ongoing bus reform, following the Bus Services Act and £3 billion investment for buses across the country.