PCV Licence Cost: What Category D Bus Training Costs

PCV and Category D are the same thing

PCV stands for passenger carrying vehicle. When people search for a PCV licence they usually mean full Category D, which covers buses and coaches with more than 16 passenger seats, including double-deckers. A full D licence also brings D1, so minibuses are covered too. Knowing that saves money: if you only ever need a minibus, the smaller D1 course is the cheaper route.

What the £1,695 pays for

What the bus hours cover

The in-vehicle time is not just about steering a long vehicle. You practise manoeuvring in tight city streets, pulling in and out of stops smoothly enough that standing passengers stay on their feet, and the boarding and wheelchair access procedures a bus driver uses every shift. Training is one to one, so all 16 hours are your hours behind the wheel.

Costs that come after the licence

• Driver CPC: professional bus and coach drivers need 35 hours of periodic training every five years to keep the Driver Qualification Card valid. Our courses are £55 per seven-hour day.
• Initial CPC practical demonstration (Module 4) for new professional drivers, published at £199.
• Medical renewals as you get older, which the licence rules require at set ages.

Choosing D1 or full D on cost

D1 at £995 is the right spend for school runs, care transport and community minibuses up to 16 passenger seats. Full Category D at £1,695 is what bus operators, coach companies and tour firms ask for, and it includes D1 anyway. If there is any chance you will move from minibuses to service buses, pricing D once is usually better than paying for D1 now and upgrading later. Tell us what vehicle the job involves and we will confirm which course fits.

Comparing a PCV quote

Ask any provider the same questions: is the medical included, is theory preparation included, how many hours are in the bus, and is the practical test inside the price? A low headline figure that leaves the medical or test outside can end up costing more. Our figure is the complete published course price, and we offer finance options if spreading the cost helps.

Already hold a car licence and want to drive buses around Glasgow? Call us with your licence details and we will talk you through the steps.