Failure to comply with Bus Open Data regulations leads to financial penalty for operator

At a recent public inquiry, PSV operator Thandi Red was found to have failed to comply with the Public Service Vehicles (Open Data) (England) Regulations 2020, in particular having failed to provide location data for its vehicles operating on registered services. Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands Miles Dorrington imposed a financial penalty under section 155 of the Transport Act 2000 of £1,500, based on a £100 penalty for each of the vehicles authorised on the operator’s licence.

This case is one of the first referred to a Traffic Commissioner that includes a failure to comply with Bus Open Data (BODS) regulations, which have required data to be provided since 2021. Operators of local services must ensure they meet all obligations in running local services, and are advised to seek the help from the BODS helpdesk if they require assistance.

The Traffic Commissioner also considered matters relating to the maintenance arrangements of the company, saying: “The repute of the operator is badly tarnished and that of the transport manager is hanging by a thread.” He reduced the authorisation of the operator’s licence from 20 vehicles to 15 for a period of 14 days.