Whether you’re flocking to an away game to support
your favourite football team or heading to a family or friend’s wedding in the
countryside, hiring and using a minibus to get around can be incredibly useful,
particularly if travelling in a group.
Hiring a minibus can be extremely useful for many
different circumstances but you may have a few questions: how many passengers
does it take? Are there any legal regulations regarding the hire of minibus?
What licence is needed to drive one?
As experts in vehicle hire, we help answer all the
questions you may have and discuss what you need to know before hiring a
minibus.
Minibus or People Carrier
Hire
First off, it’s a good idea to think about whether
you’ll need to hire a minibus hire as, if there’s not too many of you, you may
just need a people carrier instead. It will all depend on the size of the party
- people carriers start at six or seven seats and finish at nine, whereas a
minibus can usually seat from above nine to about 17 seats.
Both a minibus or people carrier can be hired on a
standard driver’s licence, however, there are conditions that need to be met to
hire and drive a minibus.
Conditions for Hiring a Minibus
Whether hiring a
minibus or people carrier, you need to consider the legal requirements and
conditions laid out by the hire company. If you’re planning to hire a minibus
to drive a party of friends or family to an event, then here are the main legal
conditions that need to be met:
● Non-commercial
use
- whatever the occasion, if you’re planning to charge the passengers
and act as your own transport service, this is illegal. If you’re hiring not
for profit and the driver is driving on a voluntary basis, this is completely
fine.
● Age requirements
- to drive a minibus, you must be aged 21 years or older. If hiring from a
specialist vehicle rental company, some may have higher age restrictions. For
example, it’s not unusual for those hiring a large van, luxury car or a maximum
seat minibus to have an age restriction of at least 35 years old.
● Licence
requirements
- to drive a minibus, you must have held a standard UK driving
licence (category B) for at least two years and this is usually the case when
initially hiring a minibus from a rental company too. However, depending on
your driver history and if you’ve had any fines or points against your licence,
some hire companies may need to research into your insurance history
beforehand.
● Weight limits
-
under UK law, the maximum weight you're allowed to transport on a standard
driver’s licence is 3.5 tonnes, or 4.25 tonnes to include specialist equipment
for disabled passengers (wheelchair ramps, for example). If you subtract the
weight of your chosen minibus away from 3.5 tonnes, this is how much weight you
have to play with (the term for this is payload). Your payload will be the
combined weight of passengers and any possessions coming on board. You’re not
allowed to tow a trailer from a minibus also.
● Number of
passengers
- the maximum number of passengers you’re allowed to transport
on the standard UK driving licence is 16 passengers (17 when including the
driver).
● Medical
standards
- any driver of a minibus must meet the ‘Group 2’ medical
standards. It’s advised that anyone over 70 should check with their GP if
they’re unsure.
If all these
requirements are met, then you’re good to go and all set to drive and hire a
minibus. If you’re still unsure, check out gov.uk
for more information on hiring a minibus.
Reasons You Might Need to Hire a
Minibus
There are so
many circumstances where you as an individual or a business might need to hire
a minibus. Here, we list just a few reasons why it might be considered:
● Events
-
we’ve touched on this already, but there are so many events that minibus hire
might be needed for: a wedding, football match, concert, family
birthday/anniversary/general party and much more.
● Education
-
for school trips to the theatre, zoo or a local museum, a minibus is a perfect
way for getting all the kids there as a collective.
● Corporate
-
minibus hire can be useful to businesses, allowing them to transport colleagues
to conventions or training days and/or to transport corporate clients and
delegates around the city, from hotels to offices.
Benefits of Hiring a Minibus
There are many
reasons and situations where you might need a minibus, but what about the
benefits of hiring a minibus? Well, here are some top advantages:
● It offers more
flexibility
- minibus hire gives you the option to pick your route, park where
you want and start your journey at a time that suits you and your group.
● It can be more
cost-effective
- rather than having to fork out for an open return train
ticket or spend money refuelling, a minibus can save money in the long term.
The cost will be split between 16 or 17 people, which can be a lot cheaper than
travelling alone or relying on public transport.
● It’s more social
- start as you mean to go on by sticking together and travelling together
as a unit. Relax in familiar company and enjoy yourself - but try to avoid a
‘Jolly Boy’s Outing’ minibus disaster.
● It’s
environmentally friendly
- by travelling in one vehicle can save on carbon
that damage the environment and add to global warming. Rather than your party
driving lots of separate cars, consider being environmentally responsible by
taking a minibus.
Hire from a Reputable Company
One of the most
important things to consider when renting a minibus is the company you choose
to hire from. Ensure that the company is BVRLA
(British Vehicle Rental and
Leasing Association) accredited. As well as this, always make sure to compare a
few quotes before booking - ensure the hire is cost-effective to you but don’t
just always opt for really cheap minibus hire either as it could be a scam and
they could add on additional and extortionate charges later on.
First Self Drive - Comprehensive
Vehicle Hire in Norwich
Whatever the
reason you might need to hire and drive a minibus, there’s no doubt that they
are helpful to get you around as well as being a place to make memories.
Travelling to that away game, a roaring concert or your cousin’s wedding will
never have felt more exciting when in like-minded company.
As an
independent vehicle rental company in Norwich, we understand the need for
minibus hire is for special and important occasions, which is why we work to
give you competitive quotes and great customer service. At First Self Drive, we’ve been
exceeding customer expectations since 1998 and supply individuals and vehicles
for commercial purposes also.
Based in Norwich, we are one of the leading
self-drive hire companies in and around Norfolk. As well as being BVRLA
accredited, we are also members of the Chamber of Commerce as we are passionate
about Norfolk’s economic growth.
As well as offering minibus and people carrier
rental, we also provide van and car rental services also. So, for reliable
vehicle rental services in Norwich,
visit
our website
for more information and to browse our
selection of available vehicles. Or, contact us on 01603 624 275.
