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If you intend to hire a vehicle in the UK or any other country, one of the first things you should consider is whether your car driving licence allows you to drive such a vehicle. This is especially a concern for minibuses because there is some confusion about the driving licence category entitlements for these vehicles. Stop asking yourself, ‘Can I drive a minibus?’ and get a definitive answer in this article.
There is a popular belief that you have to hold a D1 driving licence to be able to drive a minibus, but that isn’t always the case. This article will go over the various categories of licences you can use for minibuses.
Table Of Contents
What Is A Minibus?
A minibus is a vehicle designed to carry more passengers than a regular car but fewer people than a full-sized bus or coach. According to the 1986 road vehicle regulation, a minibus may carry more than 8 but not more than 16 seated passengers in addition to the driver.
Minibuses are commonly used to transport medium-sized groups, such as sports teams and business crews. In addition to transporting people, minibuses also have room for cargo. A fairly large number of car companies engage in the production of minibuses, such as Volkswagen, Ford, Citroen and Renault.
You must install a digital tachograph on your minibus to record your driving activities if you’re a commercial driver.
Go here if you’re interested in learning more about what a minibus is.
Driving A Minibus On A Car Licence
In most cases, you must hold a PCV licence category D1 or a category D licence to drive a minibus. D1 is a category on your driving licence that permits you to legally drive vehicles that can carry between 9 and 16 people. If you received your licence before 1st January 1997, it will automatically have the D1 entitlement, which allows you to drive a minibus.
It is also possible to drive a minibus with a standard car licence if it is not for hire or reward, but you must meet some requirements.
Choose whichever minibus from the SDVH hire fleet for your next journey. Our 12-seaters are the most popular, but you also have people carriers for hire if you want 7 seats.
Conditions For Driving A Minibus On A Standard Licence
The conditions that you must meet to drive a minibus with a standard category B licence include:
- You must be 21 years of age or older.
- You must have held your driving licence for at least two years.
- You must meet the Group 2 medical standards if you’re over 70 years old. Check with your general practitioner to confirm whether you meet the standards.
- You intend to drive on a voluntary basis, and the minibus is to be used for social purposes by a non-commercial body. The minibus service should only be made available to members of the organisation, not the general public.
- The maximum weight of the minibus must not exceed 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg). This limit can go up to 4.25 tonnes (4,250 kg) if you’re adding specialist equipment for disabled passengers, such as a wheelchair ramp.
- You must not tow a trailer.
What Is ‘Hire Or Reward’?
‘Hire or reward’ is a legal term that refers to receiving payment for providing transport services. This term covers payments in both cash and kind that a person receives to carry passengers. It doesn’t matter if the payment is made by the passenger or on behalf of the passenger. You cannot drive a minibus or any other passenger-carrying vehicle for hire or reward if you have only a category B car licence.
Tip: To drive a minibus abroad, check with the licensing authority of that particular country to determine whether you meet the requirements.
Driving A Minibus For Profit
Minibus drivers who drive on a voluntary basis for a non-commercial body can apply for a minibus permit if they want to charge passengers to cover running costs of the vehicle. However, they cannot charge passengers enough to earn a profit.
To drive a minibus for profit, you need a Public Service Vehicle (PSV), also known as a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence.
PCV Licence
A PCV licence is a licence that you need to drive a bus commercially with up to 16 passenger seats in the UK. PCV stands for ‘Passenger Carrying Vehicle’, and the steps to obtaining the licence are as follows:
- Apply for a provisional entitlement: The first step is to apply for a provisional entitlement, which allows you to undergo your practical skills training.
- Take and pass the theory test: The theory test is divided into two sections. This driving test will evaluate your knowledge of general road safety and hazard avoidance.
- Undergo practical skills training: Passing the theory test allows you to undergo practical skills training.
- Take the practical skills driving test: The final step is to take and pass the practical skills driving test.
Tip: Undergo training with a professional driving instructor to increase your chances of passing your driving test.
PSV Licence
A PSV licence is just another name for the PCV licence. This operator’s licence allows you to drive a minibus for commercial purposes in the UK. You can apply for the PSV licence on the GOV.UK website and a decision will be made regarding your request within seven weeks.
SDVH offers manual VW Transporter Shuttle hire as well as an automatic 9-seater Shuttle option to suit different needs. Reach out to us today to book your preferred minibus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Drive A Minibus On My Car Licence In The UK?
Yes, you can drive a minibus on your car licence in the UK. However, you can’t use the vehicle for hire or reward, and you need to meet certain conditions. When using standard car licences, the maximum weight of the minibus must not exceed 3.5 tonnes. When carrying specialist equipment, the weight limit is 4.25 tonnes.
You must also be at least 21 years old and have held your licence for at least two years. Finally, you must meet the group 2 medical standards if you’re 70 or older and you can’t tow a trailer with the minibus.
Can I Drive A 12-Seater Minibus On A Car Licence?
Yes, you can drive a 12-seater minibus on a car licence if your licence has the D1 entitlement (if you’ve received it before 1st January 1997). If you don’t have a D1 licence, you need to undergo additional driving tests and apply for a minibus licence or PCV. This all applies to commercial purposes. However, driving a minibus is also possible only with a B licence if you drive a non-profit and meet certain conditions.
Can A 21-Year-Old Drive A Minibus?
Yes, a 21-year-old can drive a minibus, provided that the person has the appropriate driving licence. If you intend to drive the minibus on a standard car driving licence, you also need to meet other requirements. You can also apply for a PCV or PSV licence, which allows you to drive minibuses and other large vehicles commercially.
How Heavy Is A Minibus?
How heavy a minibus is depends on the size of the vehicle and its seating capacity. Most small minibuses that can carry between 9 and 12 passengers weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes (2,500 and 3,500 kg). Larger minibuses with 16 passenger seats tend to weigh between 3.5 and 5 tonnes (3,500 and 5,000 kg).
What Category Is A 17-Seater Minibus?
A 17-seater minibus falls under a category D1 licence, if we are including the driver’s seat in the count. This means that to drive a 17-seater minibus in the UK, you must have a category D1 licence. You’ll have the D1 entitlement on your licence if you’ve received your current car driving licence before 1st January 1997. You can also apply for a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence. Note that a vehicle with more seats is a bus by the UK’s regulations.
Conclusion
To answer your question, ‘Can I drive a minibus?’ – it depends on the type of minibus and the category of licence you hold. You can drive a small minibus for a voluntary organisation on a standard licence if you meet certain criteria. However, to drive minibuses for commercial purposes, you need a licence with a D1 entitlement.
