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.
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