A single compliance failure can cost you your PSV operator licence. In 2025, a growing number of bus and coach operators across England and Wales lost their licences for exactly the kinds of issues that an independent audit would have caught: missed inspections, weak transport manager oversight, poor defect reporting, and failure to notify the Traffic Commissioner of changes.
Total Compliance delivers independent PSV compliance audits designed specifically for passenger transport operators. We identify the gaps before the regulator does, and we give you a clear plan to put things right on your own terms.
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How It Works
Step 1: Pre-Audit Review
We begin with a desk-based review of your operator licence details, maintenance records, and driver files. This allows us to focus the on-site visit on the areas of highest risk for your particular operation.
Step 2: On-Site Audit
Our consultant visits your operating centre to inspect vehicle records, driver management processes, tachograph data, maintenance systems, and management oversight. We review your OCRS and identify anything that could attract regulatory attention.
Step 3: Report and Action Plan
You receive a detailed audit report with prioritised findings and a clear action plan. Where urgent issues are found, we provide immediate guidance. The report can also be used as evidence of proactive compliance management in any future engagement with the Traffic Commissioner.
Who Should Book a PSV Compliance Audit?
Our PSV audits are suitable for operators of all sizes. They are particularly recommended for:
Operators who have received a DVSA visit or desk-based assessment
Operators preparing for DVSA Earned Recognition
Operators called to a Public Inquiry or who have received a warning letter
New PSV licence holders in their first year of operation
HGV operators expanding into passenger transport for the first time
Section 19 and Section 22 permit holders considering a move to a full PSV licence
PSV Compliance Audits
Keep your operation compliant and your audit trail in order >>
Why Choose Total Compliance?
Our consultants are qualified CPC Transport Managers with hands-on experience in the PSV sector. We understand the specific challenges of bus and coach compliance because we work with passenger transport operators every day, not just HGV fleets with PSV tagged on as an afterthought. We operate nationwide from our base in Lincolnshire.
What Does a PSV Compliance Audit Cover?
Our PSV audits are tailored to passenger transport operations. We focus on the areas where PSV operators are most commonly found to be non-compliant, drawing on current Traffic Commissioner and DVSA enforcement priorities.
Operator Licence Undertakings
We review whether your operation meets the undertakings given to the Traffic Commissioner when your PSV licence was granted. This includes operating centre conditions, vehicle authorisation limits, disc management, and compliance with any traffic regulation conditions attached to registered local services. For PSV operators, there are additional considerations around service registration accuracy and timetable adherence that do not apply to goods vehicle licences.
Transport Manager Oversight
The Traffic Commissioner requires that every PSV transport manager exercises continuous and effective management of the operation. In 2025 enforcement decisions across England and Wales, multiple PSV transport managers were disqualified for failing to demonstrate active oversight. Our audit assesses whether your transport manager arrangements meet this standard in practice, not simply on paper.
Vehicle Maintenance and Roadworthiness
PSV vehicles carry passengers and are subject to heightened scrutiny as a result. We review your Preventive Maintenance Inspection schedules, brake test records, driver defect reporting systems, and compliance with the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness. For operators of larger vehicles, we also review compliance with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations, which is particularly important given the hard compliance deadline of 1 August 2026.
Drivers' Hours, Tachographs, and Driver Management
We examine your processes for monitoring drivers' hours compliance, tachograph downloads and analysis, Driver CPC qualification status, PCV licence validity, and any conditions or endorsements. PSV operators face specific challenges around split shifts, layover periods, and the interaction between domestic and EU drivers' hours rules on mixed operations.
Financial Standing
PSV operators must demonstrate adequate financial standing to hold their licence, and the thresholds differ from those applied to goods vehicle operators. We review whether your financial evidence meets the current requirements and advise on maintaining compliance during periods of growth or fleet expansion.
PSVAR Accessibility Compliance
From 1 August 2026, all PSV operators running vehicles with more than 22 passenger seats on local or scheduled services must comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations in full. Non-compliance is a criminal offence under the Equality Act 2010, carrying fines of up to £2,500 per vehicle. Our audit includes a detailed PSVAR review where applicable.
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If you aren't yet qualified and you need help running your transport operations, you may be interested in our external transport manager service.