Main Considerations To Take Into Account When Starting A Minibus Hire Service
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The most important aspect to consider when you are thinking of starting a minibus business is what licences you will need.
There are 2 classifications of minibuses. They are rated based on whether they have 8 passenger seats or more.
The most popular minibus is the 16 seat vehicle classed as a PSV (Public Service Vehicle or PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle).
First of all do not forget, no matter how long you have owned your car licence you will have to pass a separate driving test to drive
these vehicles.
The test you will have to pass is a category D1 which will then allow you to drive a <a title="Swinton Travel </spinvariant><spindelimiter></spinvariant><spindelimiter></spinvariant><spindelimiter></spinvariant><spindelimiter></spinvariant><spindelimiter></spinvariant><spindelimiter>
Secondly, you will have to do your Driver CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence). This is not a test but training and will
involve 35 hours of training which has to be repeated every 5 years.
You will also have to undergo a full medical examination.
Once you have obtained the correct minibus driving licences you will have to apply to VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) for an Operators Licence.
There are 2 types of Operators Licence. If you are looking to operate your business on a part-time basis you can apply for a restricted licence and if you are to run a full-time service you will need a Standard Licence.
After you have got your operator’s licence you will then need to obtain Certificate/s of Initial Fitness (COIF) for each of your vehicles.
It goes without saying that you have to have relevant up to date insurance. Also a 15 minute walk round vehicle check is required at
the start of every working day as safety has to be your number one priority.
After you have obtained all your necessary licences you can start to try and find some customers and this will be the topic of another article.
Due to the amount of competition amongst Minibus Hire companies you will have to spend some time researching your marketplace and deciding upon your pricing system. Running a minibus hire service is very demanding but it can also be very rewarding if you plan your business right from the start..
