Driving
passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) on a car
driving licence
There
are special licensing arrangements allowing
you to drive minibuses and buses without
having to hold the higher passenger carrying
vehicle (PCV) driving licence entitlement.
Drivers of minibuses having 9-16 passenger
seats will normally need to hold a PCV licence
category D1 or a category D licence to drive
larger buses.
Exempted
passenger carrying vehicles
Holders
of a full category B (car) driving licence
may drive any of the vehicles listed
below:
- a
passenger carrying vehicle manufactured
more than 30 years before the
date when it is driven and not
used for hire or reward or for
the carriage of more than 8 passengers
- a
minibus with up to 16 passenger
seats provided the following conditions
are met:
i.
the vehicle is used for social purposes
by a non-commercial body but not for
hire or reward
ii. the driver is aged 21
iii. the driver has held a car (category
B) licence for at least 2 years
iv. the driver is providing the service
on a voluntary basis
v. the minibus maximum weight
is not more than 3.5 tonnes or 4.25
tonnes including
any specialist equipment for the carriage
of disabled passengers
vi. if the driver is aged 70 or over,
is able to meet the health standards
for driving a D1 vehicle
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When
driving a minibus under these conditions you may not receive
any payment or consideration for doing so other than out
of pocket expenses or tow any size trailer; you may only
drive minibuses in this country. Drivers aged 70 or over
will need to make a special application, which involves
meeting higher medical standards.
Holders
of a full category D (PCV) driving licence can also drive
a passenger carrying recovery vehicle. This is defined
as a vehicle (not being an articulated goods vehicle combination)
which:
- has
an unladen weight not exceeding 10.2 tonnes
- is
being operated by the holder of a PSV operators
licence and, is being used for the purpose of :
i.
proceeding to, or returning from, a place where assistance
is to be, or has been, given to a damaged
or disabled passenger-carrying vehicle
ii. giving assistance to or moving a disabled passenger-carrying
vehicle or moving a damaged vehicle
Minimum
age
Drivers
of exempted passenger carrying vehicles and any vehicle,
which weighs more than 7.5 tonnes can be driven from the
age of 21 years.
How
are vehicles classified?
DVLA
cannot give legal advice on how vehicles are classified
for driving licence purposes; they can only give general
guidance. The Vehicle Standards and Engineering Division,
Great Minster House, 76 Marsham St, London, SW1P 4DR,
(0207 944 2064), may be able to help classify a vehicle
that falls under, works trucks, agricultural motor vehicles,
industrial tractors and engineering plant but only for
the purposes of its construction and use.
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