Written - Proposed Safety on Learner Transport (Wales) Measure

The proposed Safety on Learner Transport (Wales) Measure has been laid today.

The proposed Measure will make changes intended to improve the safety standards of motor vehicles used to provide contracted learner transport. The framework powers in the Measure will enable us, through Regulations, to place a wide range of duties on local authorities in relation to the safety standards of school buses which they contract.

The proposed Measure makes provision for Regulations to be made in relation to:

• the descriptions of vehicles that may be used for learner transport (Section 1 of the Proposed Measure
• recording visual images or sound on learner transport (Section 2)
• safety risk assessments of learner transport provided or otherwise secured by a local authority or governing body of a maintained school (Section 3)
• action by local authorities and schools to ensure that drivers of vehicles used for learner transport have completed appropriate training (Section 4)
• the provision of supervisors on learner transport (Section 5)
• sanctions and enforcement (Sections  6-11 and Schedule A1)

I shall be making a legislative statement in plenary tomorrow to introduce the proposed Measure.