New Minibus Licence Rules - 15th April 2009



School children could lose out on opportunities to play sports and go on school trips because of new European legislation which means teachers who passed their test after January 1997 will no longer be automatically entitled to drive school minibuses used to take youngsters out.

The new rules apply to anyone driving a Minibus on a commercial basis, but not to those driving for charities or voluntary groups.

It is not clear if there will be scope for workers such as teachers to get around the legislation by driving voluntarily rather than for work but Hampshire County Council is advising them not to take any risks.

A spokesman said: "This is European legislation over which we have no influence and while we are lobbying at Government level, we have to advise teachers that if they passed their test after 1997 and have not got a D1 licence then they could be prosecuted if stopped and, importantly, it could invalidate their insurance cover." People who drive a Minibus with more than 9 passenger seats will have to take an extra test to upgrade their driving licence to include the D1 extension, which was an automatic entitlement for people who passed their driving test before January 1997.

The additional test people would have to take would be a huge and expensive undertaking that would qualify them to drive not just a minibus, but a lorry.

If you are unsure about minibus driving licences please get in touch and speak to one of our minibus insurance experts for immediate, free advice.

 

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