Within CAMRA we have a dichotomy - or perhaps that should be a paradox. How do we encourage more people to use pubs without being seen to encourage drinking and driving?

One answer is pubs could run their own free bus service reducing the temptation to drink and drive and to make a visits to the pub more attactive and popular. These services operated safely for years. They were particularly valued in rural areas where bus services are sparse or non-existent and where trying to book a taxi can be haphazard and expensive. The were exempt from public service vehicle (PSV) regulations because they were not run for profit.

However, in recent years the law has changed. New interpretations of PSV regulations now mean that even if the bus is provided free to customer, it still falls within the scope of PSV regulations. A pub that simply wants to run a minibus to pick up customers, take a darts team to an away match, or offer a safe ride home suddenly finds itself subject to the same rules as a bus company. That means operator licences, maintenance regimes, record keeping, inspections, and in some cases even the need for a qualified transport manager. For a small rural pub already fighting to stay afloat, this is completely unrealistic.

And it does not stop there. Staff are understandably reluctant to obtain PSV licences. These are professional qualifications, carrying personal legal responsibilities, medical requirements, and higher insurance liabilities. Asking bar staff or kitchen workers to take on that level of risk and bureaucracy is simply not feasible.

The result is a classic case of legislation written for one purpose having unintended consequences elsewhere. Rural pubs, which could genuinely improve safety by offering transport, are prevented from doing so. Meanwhile, responsible drivers are discouraged from visiting their local because they fear being caught out by ever stricter interpretations of drink driving rules. It leaves us with a situation where the law, designed to protect the public, may actually be undermining both road safety and the survival of community pubs.