Passenger Transport, Working Time and Tachographs
Passenger transport rules protect occupants and impose professional duties on drivers. Seat belts must be worn where fitted, child restraints are mandatory for small children, and the driver is responsible for ensuring passengers are safely seated before moving. Standing passengers are permitted only where the vehicle is designed and licensed for them. Doors must be closed before departure, and passengers must not distract the driver.
Professional drivers of buses and lorries fall under EU and national rules on driving time and rest. The tachograph records driving, other work, availability and rest. Drivers must use the correct mode, insert driver cards correctly, and retain records for inspection. Daily driving is generally limited to nine hours, extendable to ten twice a week, with breaks after four and a half hours of driving. Weekly limits and reduced daily rests are frequent exam traps; know that a break is not the same as a rest period.
Manual entries, missing records and incorrect mode selection are common violations. Tampering with the tachograph is a serious offence.
Rule of thumb: after four and a half hours of driving, take at least a 45-minute break, which may be split into 15 minutes then 30 minutes in that order.
Worked example: a driver has driven four hours. A 30-minute break now does not reset the counter; the split rule requires the 15-minute part first.