A public inquiry has concluded that serious maintenance and compliance shortcomings existed in the fleet operated by St Martins Preparatory School, prompting a suspension of its public service vehicle licence and a reduction in the number of minibuses it may run.
Inquiry findings
The hearing took place in Leeds on September 10, where Deputy Traffic Commissioner Gerallt Evans examined evidence from 2024 enforcement actions, an independent audit and later Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency investigations.
Commissioner Evans determined the operator did not keep vehicles maintained according to declared inspection schedules, failed to maintain accurate maintenance records, and did not comply with drivers’ hours regulations.
Further, the school ran vehicles that did not meet required licensing standards, exposing the fleet to broader regulatory breaches.
Responsibility for licence compliance had been delegated to school staff lacking the qualifications or resources needed to manage the operator’s obligations.
Although the school introduced training and temporarily withdrew some vehicles, the commissioner judged that the negative aspects outweighed any remedial steps taken.
Licence suspension and fleet reduction
The restricted PSV operator’s licence has been cut from two vehicles to one and suspended for 14 days, from September 25 to October 9, 2026. The operator must also commission an independent audit of its transport safety and compliance systems.
In addition, the licence holder is required to appoint a clearly identified responsible person to oversee compliance moving forward.
Evans said, “There was an almost complete lack of effective management control of the operator’s licence.” He added, “The directors abdicated their responsibility for compliance to the school head and other local staff who were unqualified and ill-equipped for the task.”
Safety concerns highlighted
The inquiry noted a March 2025 MOT failure involving a vehicle with a tyre cut to the cord, raising serious safety concerns for a vehicle used to transport schoolchildren.
Evans warned, “The MOT failure in March 2025 involving a vehicle with a tyre cut to the cord raises considerable concern about road safety especially in a vehicle being used to carry schoolchildren.”
Regulatory expectations for school transport operators
Traffic commissioners expect all operators, including schools, to maintain robust systems that ensure vehicle roadworthiness, effective maintenance arrangements and full compliance with drivers’ hours and licensing requirements.
