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This occupation is found in the transport industry, in private, public and third sectors. There are both large and small organisations providing essential transport for the millions of people who travel on buses, coaches, and trams every day. There is a wide variety of services within this sector. For example: inner city buses, country wide coach travel, private hire for holiday travel, daily school transport and tram travel on differing networks. Traveling by passenger transport helps to clean up the air that we breathe by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. This industry connects people within their communities. Customers could be going to work, seeing friends and family, accessing education or healthcare, or going on holiday. This apprenticeship is a great opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and behaviours that play a vital role in providing a high quality, accessible and safe passenger transport service.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide excellent customer service by ensuring they can travel safely, on time and in comfort from the beginning to the end of their journey. Passenger transport drivers may work a variety of shifts or rotas, day and night, every day of the week. The duties they perform include preparing, carrying out, then completing the service in line with company procedures and legislative requirements. This is a safety critical role which involves applying route risk assessments and daily checks and ensuring potential hazards are avoided to prevent the delay or completion of planned journeys. Passenger transport drivers must drive vehicles in different traffic, situational and weather conditions on the network, no two days are the same.
For bus and coach drivers, a DVLA category D licence is a statutory requirement and must be passed before completing the apprenticeship. Bus and coach drivers must also achieve their Driver of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) which is an additional legal requirement. Once the CPC licence has been achieved a bus and coach driver must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain the ability to drive buses and coaches professionally.
For tram drivers, a DVLA category B license is required and must be passed before completing the apprenticeship.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with customers in a clear, concise, and polite manner. In smaller organisations they may report to a direct line manager and work alongside internal colleagues within the depot. For larger organisations working on shift rotas, they may report to a shift operating controller and work as part of a larger team. There may be a requirement to work with other public services for example, liaising with the emergency services in the event of an accident or incident.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for safeguarding customers, employees, public, pedestrians, vehicle, and other road users at all times. Adhering to current passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) driving regulations, health and safety legislation, company policies and procedures. After a concentrated period of training at the start of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will predominately work independently with the ongoing support of the organisational mentor. Passenger transport drivers must meet targets, regulations and timescales whilst always maintaining professionalism. For example, complying with health and safety risk assessments. Ensuring that defensive driving is practised throughout every journey. Following drivers’ hours regulations, company guidelines and working time directives. This ensures road safety, fair competition and supports health and wellbeing of the driver.
Apprentices be a minimum of 18 years old in order to access the apprenticeship.
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Duty 1 Safeguard customers, employees, general public, pedestrians, vehicle and other road in relation to current passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) driving regulations, health and safety legislation, company policies and procedures. |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K9 K12 K13 K15 K16 K17 K20 K23 K32 |
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Duty 2 Report any accident or incident that involves injury, damage to any customer, pedestrian or third-party property or vehicle damage following company procedures. |
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Duty 3 Follow company procedures when dealing with a failure, breakdown or non-vehicle problem to support continuity of service. |
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Duty 4 Prepare for duty, consider route risk assessments and develop contingency plans if required utilising communication methods and digital technology. |
K3 K4 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K15 K31 |
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Duty 5 Carry out walk around daily checks as per company policy, ensuring defect reporting system procedures are adhered to at the start of duty. |
K3 K4 K7 K9 K10 K11 K15 K21 K30 |
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Duty 6 Follow allocated driving timetables, private hire, or tour instructions ensuring registered routes meet punctuality, compliance, and contractual requirements. |
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Duty 7 Drive any company vehicle following allocated duties in accordance with legal requirements, company procedures, traffic, and weather conditions on the network. |
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Duty 8 Ensure that defensive driving is practised throughout every journey, championing good driving practice and being an ambassador for the company. |
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Duty 9 Report external factors which may occur, preventing the delay or completion of planned journeys. |
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Duty 10 Comply with required legislation and company procedures when picking up and dropping off customers at stops and stations. |
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Duty 11 Ensure when parking or stabling the company vehicle that it is safe, secure and legal to do so. |
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Duty 12 Follow company procedures when communicating with customers to ensure that they are respected and made to feel welcome supporting equity, diversity, and inclusivity. |
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Duty 13 Provide assistance for customers who may need additional support, for example: elderly, disabled, parents with buggies, young or vulnerable people. |
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Duty 14 Process transactions, tickets, and passes and checking documents where appropriate. |
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Duty 15 Ensure the cleanliness of the vehicle is maintained to company standards during duties. |
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Duty 16 Comply with the company dress code, promote, enhance and uphold the company image through appearance, behaviour and professionalism. |
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Duty 17 Drive a bus or coach in accordance with legal requirements and company procedures. |
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Duty 18 Drive a tram in accordance with legal requirements, and company procedures. |
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K1: Associated regulations and legislation that impact the sector and its safe operation.
Back to Duty
K2: Associated company policy and procedure that impact the sector and its safe operation.
Back to Duty
K3: Methods to ensure safe working, risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work.
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K4: Company standards for health and safety and vehicle cleanliness and the processes for maintaining standards throughout the service.
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K5: Funding and financing arrangements of undertakings and the range of services available. For example, regulated service, private hire, charter hire and fare collection.
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K6: Customer's needs, rights and expectations.
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K7: Vehicle types, features, systems, equipment and new and evolving technologies.
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K8: Route hazards, and the different conditions and restrictions that may occur when driving.
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K9: Vehicle signage and legal lettering and where and why it should be displayed.
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K10: Principles of pre-service vehicle checks, tests and preparation.
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K11: Techniques to locate and access the vehicle.
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K12: The responsibilities and actions required of the driver to ensure delays are minimised.
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K13: Principles and techniques of defensive driving.
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K14: Principles and techniques for driving efficiently to maximise sustainability, environmental and economic benefits.
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K15: Destination displays: how to use them and impact on customers, drivers and operator.
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K16: Principles of and considerations for managing incidents and emergencies.
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K17: Principles and considerations for managing conflict and inappropriate behaviours.
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K18: Route planning: sourcing and interpreting information, timing, customer onboard services
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K19: Procedures for making scheduled stops.
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K20: Principles of collecting and protecting revenues.
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K21: Principles for monitoring and responding to instrumentation, signals and instructions.
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K22: Principles of assisting customers embark and disembark the vehicle.
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K23: End of duty process for signing off the vehicle, securing and immobilising.
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K24: Company's depot procedures for vehicle cleaning, washing and replenishing levels.
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K25: End of service reporting requirements.
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K26: The organisation's customer charter and company standards of customer service.
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K27: Data terms, types, and sources. For example: tachographs, data recording, ticketing equipment, contact technology.
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K28: Verbal and written communication techniques.
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K29: Principles of communicating with customers, using automated, verbal or other methods regarding delays and interruptions to the service and timing.
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K30: Principles of diagnosing vehicle faults and failures and rectifying issues within limits of own authority.
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K31: Principles and techniques for preparing and submit documents, reports and logs containing performance, incident and technical information.
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K32: Principles of safeguard lost property.
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K33: Principles of driving a bus or coach.
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K34: Principles of driving a tram.
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S1: Apply safe working practices and comply with current passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) driving regulations and legislation.
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S2: Comply with current company policies and procedures.
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S3: Locate and access the vehicle.
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S4: Conduct pre-service route planning.
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S5: Pre-service vehicle checks, tests and documentation.
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S6: Check and maintain cleanliness of the vehicle.
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S7: Drive the vehicle applying defensive driving techniques, with consideration of efficiency for sustainability, environmental and economic factors.
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S8: Follow procedures to maximise punctuality of service.
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S9: Communicate with customers using automated, verbal or other methods regarding delays and interruptions to the service and timing.
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S10: Uses destination displays and signage.
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S11: Communicates with colleagues, internal and external stakeholders to supports the general operation of services.
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S12: Provide assistance for customers to safely embark and disembark the vehicle
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S13: Manage customer queries and complaints.
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S14: Make scheduled stops on route.
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S15: Monitor and respond to instrumentation, signals and instructions.
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S16: Identify and diagnose vehicle faults and failures to rectify issues within limits of own authority.
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S17: Prepare and submit documents, reports and logs containing performance, incident and technical information.
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S18: Changeover the vehicle or take a vehicle out of service.
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S19: Pass the responsibility to the control of others.
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S20: Record task information (text or data) - paper based or electronic.
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S21: Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
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S22: Drive a bus or coach
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S23: Drive a tram.
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B1: Prioritise health, safety and wellbeing.
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B2: Considers the environment and sustainability.
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B3: Contributes to equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace.
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B4: Team-focus to meet work goals.
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B5: Prioritise customer needs.
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B6: Takes ownership of work, performance, and training, committing to organisational and self-improvement.
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English and maths qualifications form a mandatory part of all apprenticeships and must be completed before an apprentice can pass through gateway. The requirements are detailed in the current version of the apprenticeship funding rules.
This is a regulated occupation.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Training Provider does not require approval by regulator body
EPAO does not require approval by regulator body
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | Occupational standard, end-point assessment plan and funding band revised. | 30/11/2023 | Not set |
| 1.1 | Standard and end-point assessment plan revised | 07/08/2018 | 29/11/2023 |
| 1.0 | Retired | 17/08/2017 | 06/08/2018 |
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