Driving a bus brings with it a new set of challenges, rules of the road and considerations, particularly since there will often be multiple passengers who are standing or sitting without seatbelts, which means that you will also need an additional license to drive it.
Much like with heavy goods vehicles, driving a bus not only requires a full category D car license but also a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence, which allows you to drive professionally and involves up to five tests.
Where it becomes slightly more complex when it comes to minibuses. Whilst there are some cases where a conventional driving license may suffice, there are also many other cases where you will need specific driving lessons and licenses to qualify.
A lot of this will depend on the nature of your driving license, the type of minibus you are driving and the circumstances surrounding the journey.
There are several rules to consider, but the main three are that the minibus must weigh less than 3.5 tonnes and have no more than 16 passenger seats, and the journey must not have any payment from passengers nor be for what the law calls “hire or reward”.
You also need to be over the age of 21, have had your driving license for at least two years, and have passed any required medical standards.
This typically means driving voluntarily on behalf of a non-commercial organisation for social purposes, which is typically either an amateur sports team, an education establishment or a religious group.
In other cases, if the bus is being driven but you have to charge passengers for running costs, you may need to apply for a minibus permit, and if you want to drive it commercially, then you will need the full qualifications to drive a passenger carrying vehicle, as well as a PSV operator license if you are running the bus as well as driving it.