What are permits

Ordinarily, any organisation operating in Great Britain (GB) that accepts any sort of payment for providing transport to passengers must hold either a public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence issued by the relevant traffic commissioner or a private hire vehicle licence issued by a local authority.

In most cases, drivers of PSVs will also..

Under section 19 and section 22 of the Transport Act 1985 organisations who operate in GB without a view to profit can obtain a permit exempting them from the need to hold a PSV operator’s licence when providing transport for a charge. Under specified conditions, the drivers of certain vehicles are exempt from the need to have PCV entitlement on their driving licence.

Section 2 and section 3 of this guide describe how to make an application for a section 19 or section 22 permit respectively.

TAKE NOTE:

Permit holders have a responsibility to ensure that their services are operated within the law, with vehicles properly maintained and using drivers with the appropriate qualifications. If permit holders are in any doubt about their obligations in operating their vehicles safely and legally, and their ongoing entitlement to operate under the permit, then they should discuss with the body that issued the permit or VOSA.