BUS AUTHORITY/DRIVER AUTHORITY COURSE

Legislation in NSW requires any operator who intends to drive a public passenger vehicle, which is defined under the Regulations as “a public passenger vehicle other than a ferry” to hold a NSW “Driver Authority for drivers of public passenger vehicles”

The NSW Driver Authority also cover those drivers, with a car licence only, who operate minibuses to transport passengers.

A Driver Authority is valid for a period of three years.

The principle of the Driver Authority is to ensure the driver of a public passenger vehicle has the appropriate authority to drive the relevant public passenger vehicle, which as been categorised into:

• Authorities to drive buses
• Authorities to drive tourist service vehicles (other than buses)
• Authorities to drive taxi-cabs (covering various districts), and
• Authorities to drive other public passenger vehicles (not being private hire vehicles) of the kind specified in the Authority

Under the Regulations a driver may be issued with an Authority, which is valid for any of the categories listed above or any combination of them.

An applicant must first establish that they meet the required criteria as set out in the revised Passenger Transport Regulation 2007.

This criterion requires an applicant to:

• Be at least twenty [20] years of age, and
• Hold a driver licence, and
• Have held an Australian driver licence for a total of at least twelve [12] months in the two [2] years preceding the date of the application, and
• Have passed an examination or assessment, at a level determined by the Director-General, in medical fitness, and Satisfy that he or she may lawfully work in Australia, and
• Is of good repute and in all other respects a fit and proper person to be the driver of the vehicle concerned, and has sufficient responsibility to drive the vehicle concerned in accordance with law and custom

The NSW Department of Transport & Infrastructure will request any criminal history from Australian Police services and a driving history from the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority.

The course subjects include:

• Legislation and Driver Authority
• Customer Service
• Vehicle Operations
• Managing Breakdowns and Emergencies
• Driver Welfare and Safety

There is no practical component to the course.