PSV/Bus/Coach drivers please settle this dispute..

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Aubrey_Thicket
Aubrey_Thicket Posts: 299 Forumite
in Public transport & cycling
Hi Drivers

This dispute has now gotten a little out of hand in my local with over £50 bet on the outcome.

The story begins when a group of lads want to go on a stag party from Manchester to London. They want to hire a minibus from Salford Van Hire. So, Bloke1 says, the maximum you can take on a normal licence (bear in mind the driver of the minibus is 50) is 8. Bloke2 pops up and says "No it's not. Its 12 people". so, the friendly dispute goes on until I say "well, as we are going on the race trip on Sunday to Aintree we will ask the driver of the 52 seat coach to settle the argument. So...Sunday comes and we ask the coach driver is it 8 people or 12 people that my 50 year old pal can take in a minibus on a normal licence? The driver astounds us by saying the following WORD FOR WORD...

"Technically, you, your mate, your Granny can take a coach load of people. Even a double decker bus as long as you don't take money from them. As long as these passengers are not fare paying". So even though we are no further on with our friendly dispute we end up talking about it in our local the next week. Another pal of mine (who is a HGV driver) questions what the coach driver told us and tells us "That's a load of ****". The coach driver is referring to Grand Father rights etc but that doesn't mean that any Tom, !!!! or Harry with a standard driving licence can just rock up and jump in a double decker full of passengers and take them on their way". I tell my HGV friend "Look. That's what the coach driver told us". He then offers to bet me a large some of money which of course I refused. So, what turned out a general question now has the pub divided (in a friendly way). So...Is the coach driver correct? Can my Pal, me (48 years old), or my Granny (80 years old) simply hire a 52 seater coach or double decker bus and take the whole lot of passengers on their way?

Thanks all

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  • grahamgoo
    grahamgoo Posts: 473 Forumite
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    I'm not a bus driver but did do an experience thing a while back where I drove an old Routemaster around an airfield. I remember being surprised by the instructor saying something about being able to drive it on a car licence, assuming paying passengers were not being carried.

    I think the details are covered in this link:-
    https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/driving-passenger-carrying-vehicles-pcv-car-driving-licence
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,855 Forumite
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    Looks like the bus driver was wrong as well
    Vehicles you can drive if you have a full category B (car) driving licence:
    • a passenger carrying vehicle manufactured more than 30 years before the date it is driven and not used for hire or reward or for the carriage of more than eight passengers
    • a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats
    When driving a minibus the following conditions must be met:
    • the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body
    • the driver is aged at least 21 and has held a full car licence for at least two years
    • the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes (4.25 tonnes if fitted with specialist equipment for the carriage of passengers)
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    I think it depends on when you got your licence. I vaguely remember comparing my licence to a friend (who got theirs much more recently) and (again, I think) we were entitled to drive different sized minibuses.
  • onomatopoeia99
    onomatopoeia99 Posts: 6,964 Forumite
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    esuhl wrote: »
    I think it depends on when you got your licence. I vaguely remember comparing my licence to a friend (who got theirs much more recently) and (again, I think) we were entitled to drive different sized minibuses.
    If you passed your test before the rules changed around 1997, you got D1 automatically. That provides for vehicles with up to 16 seats and no restriction on the purpose (so can be for hire or reward).
    Proud member of the wokerati, though I don't eat tofu.Home is where my books are.Solar PV 5.2kWp system, SE facing, >1% shading, installed March 2019.Mortgage free July 2023
  • RichardD1970
    RichardD1970 Posts: 3,795 Forumite
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    You can check on the .gov site.

    https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

    This will show what you personally can drive. You need your driving licence number and NI number and postcode.

    I can drive (licence since 1992)

    D1 - 16 passenger seats and a driver, with trailer up to 750kg

    and

    D1E - 16 passenger seats and a driver, with trailer over 750kg if combined trailer and vehicle weight isn’t over 12,000kg.

    Both not for hire or reward.
  • Tilt
    Tilt Posts: 3,599 Forumite
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    https://www.gov.uk/driving-a-minibus
    PLEASE NOTE
    My advice should be used as guidance only. You should always obtain face to face professional advice before taking any action.
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