Minibus Driving License

[Spinal]

A quickie...

Do I need a special license to drive a minibus? (not for commercial purposes... for social use... i.e. driving to Italy buying wine )

I reckon the standard car license should be enough, right?

M.

 

[wemorgan]

It depends when you passed your test. IIRC on the reverse side of your license (credit card bit) it should say what vehicle you are licensed to drive.

Driving a minibus : Directgov - Motoring

 

[Drivenmemad]

I got this off of the the DVLA.uk site. But to make it easy for you, if the mini bus has more than 9 seat including the driver you must have a PSV lisence (D1) I hope this is of help to you.

Driving a minibus

You may be allowed to drive a minibus if it is not used for hire or reward. 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.
Driving licence held before 1 January 1997

If you had entitlement to drive cars before 1 January 1997 you can drive a minibus provided it has a maximum of 17 seats including the driver's seat and is not being used for hire or reward. Your minibus entitlement will remain valid in the United Kingdom until your licence is next renewed.

Meeting higher medical standards

When your licence is renewed, your minibus entitlement can only be issued if you make a special application, which will involve meeting higher medical standards.
If your minibus entitlement is renewed, at the age of 70, you will normally be granted a licence for three years that will allow you to drive a minibus 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.

• Minibus and community bus permits

Vehicle category descriptions

Vehicle category descriptions, which appear on your driving licence, can be found on the link below.

• The vehicles you can drive or ride and minimum ages

Drivers who do not have minibus entitlement

If your driving licence does not allow you to drive a minibus, there are certain circumstances where you still may be able to do so.

• Driving passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) on a car driving licence

 

[Spinal]

Great... so the short answer is maybe...

That said...

How do they define a vehicle with more than 9 seats? I.e. if I turn up to a seller, buy a minibus with 9 seats and remove one... does that make it a 8-seat vehicle?

(really, I just need 4-5 seats... I just want the extra space!)

And as it's not for hire/reward... looks like I can do it!
M.

 

[Shude]

Great... so the short answer is maybe...

That said...

How do they define a vehicle with more than 9 seats? I.e. if I turn up to a seller, buy a minibus with 9 seats and remove one... does that make it a 8-seat vehicle?

(really, I just need 4-5 seats... I just want the extra space!)

And as it's not for hire/reward... looks like I can do it!
M.

I see the DVLA have made it simple and clear, as per usual!

Whether or not you choose to remove a seat please check on the maximum vehicle weight and DO NOT overload it as the authorities take a dim view and can confiscate the whole lot (including the vehicle - even if it's a rental).

 

[Mr E]

You will also need to check the requirements of the countries you are driving through too.

 

[Benzmanc]

If you're not carrying more than 2 passengers why not take a standard van. I did my PCV a few years back and it was hard then. The medical alone is at army standards.

Daz

 

[Benzmanc]

If you're not carrying more than 2 passengers why not take a standard van. I did my PCV a few years back and it was hard then. The medical alone is at army standards.

If you remove a seat then the restrictions do not apply, look at all those coaches converted into camper vans and then driven on a car licence.
Daz

 

[Spinal]

I'm getting quite annoyed with autotrader... 90% of all vehicles listed under £500 are "missing" a zero from the price... ugh!

 

[Shude]

I'm getting quite annoyed with autotrader... 90% of all vehicles listed under £500 are "missing" a zero from the price... ugh!

I don't know why I bought my CLK when for the same money I could have had a luton-converted sprinter with tail lift!

I love driving vans.

 

[nick mercedes]

I'm getting quite annoyed with autotrader... 90% of all vehicles listed under £500 are "missing" a zero from the price... ugh!

You want to drive all the way accross Europe in a fully laden van that costs less than £500???

 

[Shude]

You want to drive all the way accross Europe in a fully laden van that costs less than £500???

He's driven further, in poorer conditions, in much worse!

 

[nick mercedes]

He's driven further, in poorer conditions, in much worse!

The opportunities for getting pulled in a knacker van full of wine are greater...

 

[Spinal]

I've driven to Timbutku, Mali (yes, on the other side of the sahara desert) in a W202 that had been rammed off the road by an articulated lorry... oh, and had been in 2 other accidents before that...

I'm currently driving a £500 ford probe... my daily commute varies, with yesterday being a 150 mile (each way) drive... no issues so far....

The £500 is a limit as the first job for the van/minibus is to participate in (yet another) banger challenge... but I need to dress her up like an ambulance (hence why a minibus/van would be ideal)....

£500 buys a lot of car

M

 

[Drivenmemad]

Great... so the short answer is maybe...

That said...

How do they define a vehicle with more than 9 seats? I.e. if I turn up to a seller, buy a minibus with 9 seats and remove one... does that make it a 8-seat vehicle?

(really, I just need 4-5 seats... I just want the extra space!)

And as it's not for hire/reward... looks like I can do it!



Yes it is as easy as that. by removing any extra seats puts the mini bus out of the PSV bracket so if you only need 4-5 seat take out those that you don't need, but check your license as to your limit. if it has C1 or C1-E then you can drive up to 7.5 tons (known as a granddad license) sorry i only do old money.
As an now ex coach driver ( through illness) iam shore this is correct but a visit to the local police station might be an idea to make shore.

 

[nick mercedes]

The £500 is a limit as the first job for the van/minibus is to participate in (yet another) banger challenge... but I need to dress her up like an ambulance (hence why a minibus/van would be ideal)....

£500 buys a lot of car

M

You'll struggle to buy any van for £500 as with scrap being high they'll weigh in for that...

 

[Spinal]

That's the trouble... seen a few, but they're not that great as they aren't the high roof kind (making fitting 2 seats into the back a hellish job), or have a metal bulkhead between the back and front (making having 2 poor sods in the back without windows even worse!)

May have to get a van for Europe separately, and get a random white estate for the banger challenge... hmmm

M.

 

[E CLASS]

Eh....driving all the way to Italy to buy wine??

That to me sounds rather uneconomic unless you happen to be going anyway.

Customs will need some convincing to get you through and in an old van packed with wine and people you will def get pulled.

That said you actually need to make it there and back first - that will be your biggest challlenge.

My advice is find a great wine merchant inthe UK...

 

[Spinal]

I'm curious... how hard is it to remove the bulkhead from a transit? (the metal one between the drivers area and the rear "box"?)

Is it a spanners and hammers job or do I need to cut out the metal?

M.

 

[E CLASS]

I thnk you might be interfering with the structural integrity of the vehicle by doing that.

Have to tell insurance company etc...