Driving
a minibus
You
may be allowed to drive a minibus without
bus entitlement, 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 which gives them right
to be carried in a vehicle.
Driving
licence held before 1 January 1997
If
you had entitlement to drive cars prior
to 1 January 1997 you can drive a minibus
provided you are 21 or over and the
minibus has a maximum of 17 seats including
the driver's seat and is not being used
for hire or reward.
To
drive a minibus which has nine or more
passenger seats for hire or reward you
will normally need passenger carrying
vehicle entitlement (PCV). 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.
New
rules from 1 January 1998
Your
minibus entitlement will remain valid
in the United Kingdom (UK) and on temporary
visits abroad until your licence is
next renewed. 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
you will normally be granted a licence
for three years which will allow you
to drive a minibus, not for hire or
reward, in the UK and on temporary visits
to other European Community/European
Economic Area (EC/EEA) countries. See
below for more details about licences
that will be accepted abroad.
If
your minibus entitlement is not renewed,
the entitlement will no longer appear
on your licence. However if you are
aged under 70 years, you may still be
able to drive minibuses in certain circumstances.
Drivers whose licences are due for renewal
will receive advice about these new
procedures with their renewal reminder
letter.
Vehicle
category descriptions
Vehicle
category descriptions, which appear
on your driving licence, can be found
on the link below.
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Medically
restricted licences
In
general, car licences have to be renewed when drivers
reach the age of 70 but younger drivers with restricted
medical licences will also be affected by the new rules
when their licences are renewed after 1 January 1998.
If you have a medically restricted licence you should
note that entitlement to drive non-commercial minibuses
on a voluntary basis would not be subject to the higher
standards until you reach the age of 70. The rules listed
at car licences first obtained after 1 January 1997 will
also apply to you. For more information about how medical
conditions and disabilities effect your licence you can
use the link below:
Licences
that will be accepted abroad
All
entitlements on British licences will continue to be accepted
at face value during temporary visits to other EC/EEA
countries. Please note that permit minibuses used for
hire or reward cannot be driven outside the UK unless
the driver has passed a PCV test.
Drivers
who become permanently resident in another EC/EEA country
may find that their entitlement to drive minibuses (not
for hire or reward) may not be acceptable. Advice should
be sought from the licensing authority of the new country
with the exception of Northern Ireland, which will accept
all Great Britain entitlements.
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 which are explained on the link below.
The
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) information
leaflet covering this subject is available from DVLA local
offices or for download on the link below.
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