At one point in your life, you have had the chance to travel on a minibus. It is a convenient way to transport a group of people from one destination to the other. It is cost-effective and a reliable means of transport. From road trips to taking friends and family on holidays to moving a loved one to their new house with a minibus, everything you want is covered. But what information do you have when it comes to driving a minibus; what are the dos and don’ts when driving one?
Who Is Eligible To Drive One?
Technically, everyone is qualified to drive a minibus, as long as they have a legit full car HGV driving license. A full car license allows you to drive a minibus, and if you are not sure about the class of your driving license, you can always check the back for confirmation. Make sure to check this out before hiring one. Of course, this has nothing to do with your minibus driving ability, but it has everything to do with the rules and regulations that govern the driving of a minibus as far as payment is involved.
Luckily, the rules are quite simple.
Personal Use.
If you are a lover of minibuses and you are just driving for leisure or personal reasons, then you don’t need to have a separate driving license to operate a minibus. Separate licenses are for those using a minibus for public operations. Legally, you are allowed to drive a minibus with up to 16 passengers without having a separate driving license. But there are conditions to be met before enjoy all this. You have to be above 21 years of age and at least held your license for a period not less than 2 years. You are also expected to meet group 2 medical criteria, as required by your GP to ascertain that your passengers will be safe. Furthermore, you need to ensure that your weight does not exceed at least 3.5 tonnes in total, and you are not allowed to tow a trailer while driving the minibus. If you are above 70 years old then you are required to take a medical exam and fill a D2 form to be allowed to drive a minibus.
Hiring cost!
It is not practical to drive a minibus for free you will need to pay to hire one. Hiring one has proven to be very expensive, and if you are going on a long journey, it can be very costly. You could end up spending more money than expected. Even if you are driving to a charity event, family meetings, or volunteer projects you need to be able to cover the cost of hiring and maintaining the minibus throughout the journey. If you have to do this, then you are required to obtain a permit from DVSA and ensure that you are of 21 years old before applying for it. The permit contains has a rule; the minibus must be used for a specific number of people not exceeding 15 passengers.
Doing Business.
Lastly, driving for gains and profits. If you are planning on driving a minibus professionally, then you will be required to obtain a new license before venturing into the business. The first requirement will be to have provisional entitlement to allow you to drive a minibus, also known as (PCV) that is a passenger-carrying vehicle. You will need to have a PSV license too.