Minibus rental for a 24 year old

[Original Poster]

Google isn't coming out too well with this one, perhaps someone can recommend a company?

I need to rent a minibus this Saturday for 24 hours, however I am 24 and everywhere I have looked so far requires the driver to be 25.

The minibus needs to seat 12 people, happy to have a bigger one if needs be. Ideally pick up from Berkshire however can travel if needs be.

[alfa pint]

Good luck with that one! You're almost certainly going to have to be looking at the smaller indy hire companies rather than mainstream. Have you looked on yell instead of google?

I assume you have taken the necessary test for a minibus? Us oldies were given it as a matter of course when I passed my test back in 1989....

Edited to correct big thumbs on small keyboard error...

[XJSsometimeSoon]

Are you affiliated to a club or group, sometimes this can make hiring them a touch easier. The law on driving mini buses is a nightmare though. There seem to be weird loop holes, where if you are driving it for no pay or reward you can drive up to a 16 seater without passing the mini bus test (I still don't fully believe this). All the guidelines seem very confusing and ringing the DVLA didn't help and they repeated the same stuff back to me

[Original Poster]

Interesting.

I don't have anything on my license that says I can drive minibuses but it wouldn't be for profit or reward...

[the_bear]

last time i needed a minibus, it worked out cheaper to buy one, and sell it on after I had finished with it.

[Original Poster]

the_bear said:

last time i needed a minibus, it worked out cheaper to buy one, and sell it on after I had finished with it.

Prices seem to be about £80...

[R0G]

Original Poster said:

Interesting.

I don't have anything on my license that says I can drive minibuses but it wouldn't be for profit or reward...

If the minibus has a total of 10 seats or more then you MUST have a D1 on your licence to drive it

As you are aged 24 then that would mean taking and passing a D1 (or D) PCV test

[R0G]

NOTE the non commercial body bit - this could be as a volunteer minbus driver for a charity for example

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensi...
Exempted passenger carrying vehicles

Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the vehicles listed below:

•a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats provided the following conditions are met:

i. the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body but not for hire or reward
ii. the driver is aged 21
iii. the driver has held a car (category B) licence for at least 2 years
iv. the driver is providing the service on a voluntary basis
v. the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes or 4.25 tonnes including any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers