7-9 seater for school run - licence ?

[IceBoy]

Hi All,

My brother has just come up with a new business idea for himself.

He has realised that his eldest (who is going to secondary school) next year, will need transport to and from.

He also realises that the options are:

1. Walk & train
2. Bus service

So he thought, "how about if I buy a 7-9 seater and drop my kid and his friends for a small fee"

As he is an active parent at the school and I think he could have a small business opportunity. He is currently out of work and is looking at various small investment business ideas.

The school the kids will be going to is 6-8 miles away and the small town (where the school is located) is very, very busy at school times. Can take 1 hour to get in and out!

So the main question is, does he need some sort of taxi licence? He has confirmed he will not do any other work except school drop off and pick up and will be paid on a monthly or quarterly basis by the parents direct into bank account and therefore no cash.

Help much appreciated.

IceBoy

[MX7]

Talk to your local council.

[Jessicus]

Off top of head at a minimum he would need to be registered as a taxi (driving for hire/reward) commercial insurance, possibly liability insurance as well.

Would also be best to be DBS cleared as well (new name for CB checks) if carrying unaccompanied minors.

As long as a maximum of 8 passengers, normal license would be fine.

[Crusoe]

And check his insurance, most rule out this type of use so he would probably need a different policy.

[Crusoe]

Is there a plan b for holiday/sickness cover too - if parents are paying for a service they won't want to hear he is ill and not taking the kids to school today.

[IceBoy]

Oh jeeezzz, seems like there is a lot more to it!

I guess Insurance is going to be a killer!?

IceBoy

[Nickyboy]

You can do it with no special licence etc if you aren't doing it for hire or reward, as soon as you charge it becomes a business and a whole different ball game.

[Monkeylegend]

He will most probaably need a PCV Licence if he is carrying more than 8 passengers.

As well as him, the vehicle will need to be tested and licensed by the local council.

Most school contracts are awarded by the local councils for a pittance, not a way to make a living.

And the insurance will initially be a crippler until he builds up some no claims which is not usually transferable.

[Dapster]

Your friend won't have a hope of recovering his costs on just the school run twice a day. It would be cheaper for the parents to use a local taxi to send their kids to school. To make any money, he'd have to be doing 20 hours of airport runs a day on top....

[chrisw666]

He would need to be insured for hire & reward purposes, which would involve some kind of private hire insurance, this doesn't mean he needs to be registered as a Taxi in some places but it would need checking. Under 8 passenger seats means an ordinary B licence would be ok, but for a larger vehicle he needs a D1 (PSV) licence which involves a medical etc.

There is a way around the need for a D1 but that involves proving you are a not for profit organisation and is usually reserved for schools and charities.

[Morningside]

Some rules:
https://www.gov.uk/driving-a-minibus

A guide:
http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/info/minibus_code_...

Am I also right in thinking that the older type of minibus would not have the correct seats. ie up to date crash standard.