Driving and rest times for buses

Bus drivers are largely covered by the same driving and rest time rules (kör- och vilotider) as lorry drivers. The rules are in Regulation (förordning) (EG) nr 561/2006. But passenger transport has some exemptions of its own, and since Regulation (förordning) (EU) 2024/1258 there are special rules for occasional passenger services (tillfällig persontrafik), that is private hire services such as tourist trips and group travel. In this chapter we go through what applies specifically to you as a bus driver.

When do the rules apply?

The EU rules apply to passenger transport with vehicles constructed or permanently adapted for carrying more than nine people, including the driver (Article 2.1 b). So a minibus with twelve passenger seats is covered, because twelve passengers plus the driver make thirteen people.

The rules do not apply to vehicles used on regular services (linjetrafik) where the route is no more than 50 kilometres long (Article 3 a). If you drive a city bus on an 18-kilometre route, you are not covered by the EU regulation. If you switch to an 85-kilometre regional route, the rules apply, and then the bus must have a tachograph (färdskrivare), which you must use.

Even when the EU rules do not apply, there are rules on working time and rest. Find out what applies to your duty.

The basic rules

For bus drivers who are covered, the same basic rules apply as for goods transport:

• Daily driving time: no more than 9 hours, or 10 hours twice a week (Article 6.1).
• Weekly driving time: no more than 56 hours (Article 6.2).
• Two consecutive weeks: no more than 90 hours (Article 6.3).
• Break: at least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving (Article 7).
• Daily rest: at least 11 hours, or split 3 + 9 hours. No more than three reduced daily rests of at least 9 hours between two weekly rests (Article 8).
• Weekly rest: at least 45 hours, or reduced to at least 24 hours, which must be compensated (Article 8.6).

Breaks on regular services

If you drive a regular service on a route of more than 50 km, the same break rule applies as for goods transport (Article 7). After 4 hours and 30 minutes of driving you must have taken a break of at least 45 minutes. The break may be split into first at least 15 and then at least 30 minutes, spread over the driving period. So if you have driven 4.5 hours without any break at all, you must take 45 minutes in one go. The more flexible rule with two 15-minute breaks only applies to occasional passenger services.

Special rules for occasional passenger services

Regulation (EU) 2024/1258 gave drivers on occasional passenger services greater flexibility. The rules are designed for coach trips where the schedule is governed by the group's programme, for example a trip to the mountains or a tour of Europe.

Split break. The driver may split their 45-minute break into two breaks of at least 15 minutes each (Article 7). This differs from goods transport, where the first part must be at least 15 and the second at least 30 minutes.

Postponed daily rest. In certain cases the driver may take their daily rest within 25 hours of the end of the previous rest instead of within 24 hours, that is postpone it by up to one hour (Article 8.2a). This may only be done on a trip lasting at least six 24-hour periods, and on that day the total driving time may be no more than seven hours. On trips lasting at least eight 24-hour periods, the derogation may be used twice.

The 12-day derogation (tolvdagarsundantaget). On a single occasional passenger service, the driver may postpone the weekly rest for up to twelve consecutive 24-hour periods after a regular weekly rest (Article 8.6a). Previously the trip had to be international. Since 2024/1258 the derogation also applies to national trips. Some conditions still apply:

• After the twelve-day period, the driver must take two regular weekly rests, or one regular and one reduced of at least 24 hours. Any reduction must be compensated before the end of the third week following the period.
• The bus must have a digital or smart tachograph.
• If the bus is driven between 22:00 and 06:00, there must be more than one driver, or the driving time before a break must be reduced to three hours.

Journey form (färdblad). At a roadside check, the driver must be able to justify the use of the derogations above (Articles 7, 8.2a and 8.6a). So the driver must carry a completed journey form for the trip and copies of the journey forms for occasional passenger services over the last 56 days (Article 16.4).

Resting in the bus and returning home

A regular weekly rest may not be taken in the vehicle. It must be taken in suitable accommodation paid for by the employer (Article 8.8). The transport undertaking must also organise the work so that the driver can return home or to the employer's operational centre within each period of four weeks (Article 8.8a).

Tachograph in the bus

In buses covered by the driving and rest time rules, a tachograph must be installed and used (Regulation (förordning) (EU) nr 165/2014 Article 3.1). You must use your driver card (förarkort) every day you drive, from the moment you take over the bus (Article 34.1).

If you have left the bus and therefore have not been able to record your time, for example because you were working on something else, you must enter that time manually on the driver card using the tachograph's manual entry function (Article 34.3).

At a check you must be able to show records for the current day and the previous 56 days. There is more about the tachograph in the chapter on tachographs for lorries, as the rules are the same.

Pay and road safety

A transport undertaking may not pay drivers according to distance travelled, delivery time or amount of goods carried if this can endanger road safety or encourage breaches of the rules (Article 10.1). The timetable must never be a reason to speed or skip the break.

Fatigue

Driving and rest times are maximum limits. You must never drive if you are so tired that you cannot drive safely (Traffic Ordinance (trafikförordningen) 3 kap. 1 §). With a bus full of passengers, the consequences of a moment's sleep are very serious.

Remember

• The EU rules apply to vehicles for more than nine people, including the driver.
• Regular services on routes of no more than 50 km are exempt from the EU regulation.
• The basic rules: 9 hours' daily driving time, a break after 4.5 hours, 11 hours' daily rest and 45 hours' weekly rest.
• On occasional passenger services the break may be split into two breaks of at least 15 minutes.
• On trips of at least six days, the daily rest may be taken within 25 hours instead of 24, with no more than seven hours' driving that day.
• Since 2024 the 12-day derogation also applies to national trips. Afterwards two weekly rests are required (at least one regular), the bus must have a digital or smart tachograph, and driving between 22.00 and 06.00 requires two drivers or driving of at most three hours before a break.
• The journey form is what you show at a roadside check to justify using the derogations.
• A regular weekly rest may not be taken in the bus.