The legislation requires all commercially operated mini- buses to fit a tachograph to monitor the drivers' hours.
Voluntary settings and services, schools and nursery schools and 'school runs' will be exempt.
A tachograph records hours of driving, speed and distance over 24 hours. It is used by long-distance lorry drivers to make sure they take sufficient breaks and do not exceed maximum driving hours.
Michelle Gowing, who co-owns Sam's Learning Tree, a nursery and after-school club in Rhyl, Wales, has run a 17-seater minibus for the past 18 months. The minibus does two after-school runs a day and is used for short-distance trips to the seaside and other local outings. She said, 'All feedback from parents about these trips is really good. I want to be within the law and offer these services, but to do so will cost £1,000 plus running costs and we have no grants available.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
