Mr. Stephen Kent:

It is still largely about safety. We are different because we operate the school transport scheme. It is a policy we have in the company. We also have a policy that all drivers are vetted. That differs from other operators as well but is something we do in the interests of safety. We have had wide consultation on this given the scale of the service is now 9,500 routes. We continue to want to operate as safely as possible. There is such a degree of variability. Some people are familiar with taxis running and some will be familiar with minibuses. Others may not know we are running 80-seat double-deck coaches. The scale is enormous and we are trying to deliver it safely.

We are not unique because many other industries have limits. We see it in pilots where the limit of 60 years of age is there for safety reasons. In rail there are age limits.