Using a bus for a buisness

jamiepenn

Hello

Does anyone know the legality of using a bus effectivly as a shop. My friend and I are in the process of setting up an online up-cycle/vintage shop, and in the future we would love to convert an old bus into our shop on the move. However, are you allowed to sell things whilst on the move or in a mobile shop? We would go from city to city, town to town, village to village and hype up the day we go there before hand so as to attract some business and also hit up festivals. Just an idea at the moment!

Hope that makes some sort of sense lol?

phill99

There are loads of precedents of people selling goods from vehicles. Mobile green grocers, mobile fish and chip shops, ringtons tea deliveries, etc etc etc

jamiepenn

That's true, do you know if you have to have some sort of licence to be a mobile business or know of anywhere else that could help too?

Thank you :-)

ira.hath

Normally each council will have designated zones you do need a licence to trade in. Perhaps start by phoning your local council and asking what the situation would be there, and see if that helps to work out anything more suitable.
It might be worth speaking to Working on Wheels (formally the Playbus Association). They're primarily children's playbuses and community project type buses, but they do have some commercial members. Even if they can't help with the legalities of a bus shop, they should have advice about buying a bus, getting the conversion done etc.

Mistral001

If it was a working bus that you bought, it would probably have gotten a public service MOT and be licensed to carry passengers. First port of call might be DVLA to see what class it will fall into in its new role.

jamiepenn

Thanks for all your help these are really useful points I wouldn't have thought of :-)

Buzby

It sounds as though you want to take advantage of passing trade? It which case, I don't see this working as you will be unable to park up in the majority of towns/cities. You'll need to use available land (with the owners permission) as whilst it may look like a bus, you will not be able to use bus bays or even designated bus parking zones.

The length, height and weight will also affect your available locations, unless you get on the national circuit of shows and events where you join similar traders at show grounds on a seasonal basis - that may well work.

However a around 12-20 per mile of the diesel gallon, the moT and the rest will make your overheads quite high.

CKhalvashi

Mistral001 wrote: »

If it was a working bus that you bought, it would probably have gotten a public service MOT and be licensed to carry passengers. First port of call might be DVLA to see what class it will fall into in its new role.

This will depend on when it was registered, what class it's in, whether it'll carry ANY passengers, and exactly how it'll be converted.

I can't answer this effectively without too many answers to various questions I don't know. OP, I've had to take a PSV (coach) and CPC (lorry) to drive various vehicles we have parked outside the office, so it will be worth asking to avoid complications.

Buzby wrote: »

It sounds as though you want to take advantage of passing trade? It which case, I don't see this working as you will be unable to park up in the majority of towns/cities. You'll need to use available land (with the owners permission) as whilst it may look like a bus, you will not be able to use bus bays or even designated bus parking zones.

I'm thinking markets, but in these patches, you're looking around £80 a day (more in London). I have, however, fought (and won) for the last 4 years the battle not to raise prices as a Cllr. It will depend on where you're touring though as to whether others have done the same.

The length, height and weight will also affect your available locations, unless you get on the national circuit of shows and events where you join similar traders at show grounds on a seasonal basis - that may well work.

Markets would seem the only viable option.

Do you realise how difficult it is to get onto the show circuits? We do 20-30 shows a year with 2 old Ladas, as part of the Lada Owners Club (even though we have 1 of 4 Volga Convertibles in the world and a GAZ M-20, so neither are Ladas), and it's the same few companies doing all the shows right through.

I don't know about other shows, but I'd have thought it's the same.

However a around 12-20 per mile of the diesel gallon, the moT and the rest will make your overheads quite high.

12-20 is an overestimate if ever I saw one.

We have 6 Mercedes Axors, all newer than '60' plate, and we're lucky to get more than 16mpg. These are the rigid ones, so probably lighter than an old bus. Bear in mind, that the oldest ones we have are still less than 3 years and have been maintained impeccably, so account for no more than 12mpg, and that's if you're lucky.

CK

skater_kat

in our area you cannot do mobile trading at all and have to apply for a street trading license only in designated areas. i guess it varies between local councils but you can't just rock up and sell stuff wherever you want. i would go down the route of festivals or other privately owned land options.

patman99

The bus would have to be over 30 years old (although there is no reason why you could not swap the engine for a more modern engine (or indeed, run the thing on waste veg oil)) and you cannot be paid to drive the bus, or you would need a PSV license.

I would hazard a guess that such a vehicle would be quite an attraction at car boot sales. There are 3 massive bootsales near me & they have one trader who uses a converted former Fire-service vehicle.

ira.hath

patman99 wrote: »

The bus would have to be over 30 years old (although there is no reason why you could not swap the engine for a more modern engine (or indeed, run the thing on waste veg oil)) and you cannot be paid to drive the bus, or you would need a PSV license.

Why dopes the bus need to be over 30 years old?

My understanding is that you only need a PSV license to drive a vehicle which carries more than 8 passengers. You need a driving licence for that class the vehicle is registered as, since the bus is being converted it wouldneed reregistering with the DVLA.