Land transport businesses deploy people and vehicles in higher-risk environments — drivers on long shifts, loading and coupling operations, working at or near moving vehicles and live track, and the carriage of members of the public. Before the mode-specific licensing regime that applies to your operation, every land transport employer carries the same workplace duties as any other business. Start here, then follow the guide for your kind of operation — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, or pipelines.
A. Health and safety at work
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA) requires you to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and anyone else affected by your work — drivers, depot and yard staff, passengers and the public. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and if you employ five or more people you must record it in writing. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces in Great Britain; the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) enforces in Northern Ireland. Driver fatigue, lone working, vehicle movements in yards and manual handling are typical transport risks your assessment must address.
B. Reporting accidents (RIDDOR)
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), you must report certain workplace injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences to the HSE (or HSENI in Northern Ireland). Most road traffic accidents on the public highway are excluded from RIDDOR, but incidents during loading, unloading, maintenance, or in depots and yards are usually reportable — as are injuries to passengers and the public arising from your work.
C. Employers' liability insurance
If you employ anyone — including drivers, agency staff on your payroll and apprentices — you must hold employers' liability insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover and make the certificate available. The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 applies in Great Britain; in Northern Ireland the equivalent duty is under the Employers' Liability (Defective Equipment and Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. This is separate from the motor and goods-in-transit insurance your operating regime requires.
D. Equality
The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales and protects employees, job applicants and members of the public from discrimination on nine protected characteristics. It is particularly relevant to passenger transport — accessibility and the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled passengers. In Northern Ireland, separate equality legislation enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) provides equivalent protections.
E. Data protection
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply UK-wide. Booking records, CCTV and dashcam footage, telematics and tachograph data, and staff and customer records are all personal data. You must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity, keep data secure, set retention periods and respond to subject access requests within one calendar month, and register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unless exempt.
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What to do next
Follow the guide for your kind of land transport operation — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, or pipelines — then complete the land transport compliance checklist.
Legal basis
Primary legislation and key regulations