Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has plans to renew the existing time-limited exemption from the technical requirements of AIR, due to end on 31 July 2026.

In 2024 Ministers reluctantly granted limited exemptions from the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (AIR) to enable essential rail replacement services to continue operating due to a shortage of compliant coaches. We have been clear with the rail and coach sectors that we do not intend to extend this exemption.

The Government understands and recognises the specific challenges to comply with AIR within the rail replacement sector. We continue to work with partners, including the Rail Delivery Group, DfT Operator Limited and bus and coach trade bodies, to assess the sector’s readiness for full compliance across the whole rail network, and to provide support to help them achieve this. This includes the development of new technological solutions for providing information on board coaches, funding for smaller operators, and the existing time-limited exemption from the technical requirements of AIR.