Professional Driver Services

Minibus

• The Minibus
• Driver Entitlement
  • Car test passed before 1st January 1997
  • Car test passed on or after 1st January 1997
• Exemptions
• Minibus Training

Minibus Training

Driver Entitlement

The rules and regulations surrounding minibus (PCV) driver entitlement can be a potential minefield, with many people unsure of what they can or cannot do. In recent years, EU regulations have tightened up the licensing regulations but there are still some grey areas which, until ruled upon by a court of law, will remain open to interpretation. However, in general, the person driving the minibus will fall into one of two basic categories:

• Those who passed their car driving test before 1st January 1997
• Those who passed their car driving test on or after 1st January 1997

The main difference between the two categories is the presence of an automatic D1 entitlement on the licence. Only those people who have passed their car test prior to the 1st January 1997 will have this automatic entitlement. Irrespective of whether a person has a D1 category on their licence or not, each person driving a minibus should receive professional training as part of best practice guidelines as stated by the Department for Education and Skills.