Introduction Minibuses can be hired for self drive and are great for transporting a crowd of friends, family, or a sports team. They hold between 9 and 16 passengers – not including the driver and they are always a great way of getting small groups of people from A to B. In order to drive a minibus in the UK you must possess a full UK driving license with a D1 entitlement. These used to be added onto licenses automatically if you took your car test before 1997 but then conditions changed:
If you had entitlement to drive cars prior to 1st January 1997 you can drive a minibus provided it has a no more then a maximum of no more then 17 seats including the driver’s seat and is not being used for hire or reward. Your minibus entitlement will remain valid in the UK until your license is next renewed.
Meeting higher medical standards When your licence is renewed, the minibus entitlement can only be issued if you make a special application. This special application will mean meeting a new higher medical standard. Providing your minibus entitlement is renewed, at the age of 70, you will normally be granted a licence for a maximum of three years that will allow you to drive a minibus although NOT for hire or reward. If your minibus entitlement is not renewed, the entitlement will no longer appear on your licence.
Driving under the permit scheme To drive a minibus that has nine or more passenger seats for hire or reward you will normally need passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) entitlement. To obtain this you must meet higher medical standards and take a further driving test. However, if you drive a minibus for an organisation under the minibus or community bus permit scheme you will not need to have the higher PCV entitlements. If your license does not include a D1 entitlement then you are still permitted to drive a minibus under certain conditions.
Normally you will be allowed to drive a minibus with a maximum of 16 passengers providing: i) You are driving on behalf of a non commercial body for social purposes but not for hire or payment, unless operating under a permit; ii) You have possessed a car (category B) license for at least 2 years; iii) You are aged 21and over; iv) You are providing your service on a voluntary basis; v) if you are 70 years old and over, you are able to meet the health requirements for driving a vehicle (i.e. minibus) which comes within the D1 class; vi) The minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes excluding any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers. Minibuses up to 4.25 tonnes will be permitted in certain circumstances. vii) If you meet these requirements there are two further rules you must act in accordance with: you may not receive any payment you must not tow a trailer (of any size).
All commercial companies (ie Hire and Reward) MUST be VOSA registered. Hire or reward generally means any payment in cash or kind made by or on behalf of passengers that gives them right to be carried in a vehicle.
Mark JM Bond is a director of a London based minibus company. take a look at his web site for more details on Minibus Hire and Coach Hire in the London and the UK and worldwide