Minibus Club Article Archive

What is covered - and not covered - by a minibus insurance policy can be found in the small print. You should always pay attention to this when buying insurance and here, we can look at a typical minibus insurance policy summary. In this context, ‘typical’ doesn’t mean ‘representative’. Insurance policy details can differ significantly but the following represents what you can expect to see. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll call the three types of insurance cover by shortened names. So, ‘Comp’ means comprehensive cover, ‘TPFandT’ means third party, fire and theft cover, and ‘TPO’ refers to third party only cover.

Lets begin by examining what the minibus insurance cover might pay for in the event of a claim. Comp, TPFandT and TPO share coverage of the following in our example. Liability for death or injury to third parties, Liability for damage to other people’s property and legal costs incurred with the insurer’s consent in connection with a claim against the policy are all covered. The same goes for driving abroad, cover being available for most European countries. In our example, the policy booklet would furnish you with the specific details.

Comprehensive minibus insurance is the most costly choice but this is with good reason. In our example, Comp covers loss of or damage to the vehicle, plus replacement locks, accident recovery and an approved repairer network. These three elements are covered in a TPFandT policy, but only if a claim is for loss through fire or theft. A TPO policy would not cover these eventualities. However, Comp covers additions including medical expenses up to 100 pounds per person, personal effects up to 100 pounds, and replacements for a broken windscreen and/or windows.

Now for the options in our typical minibus insurance policy summary. Additional public liability cover in the course of a fare paying journey, AA-provided breakdown assistance, and European breakdown assistance are among the options on offer, as is uninsured loss recovery from the DAS. These options are available with all three types of cover.

Like any insurance policy, our minibus insurance has exclusions and limitations. The first is the ‘excess’, the amount the insured pays towards any claim. This, generally an agreed figure, can vary depending on certain circumstances in a claim. Limitations can be against loss or damage if the ignition keys have been left in the minibus, as well as loss of use, depreciation, wear and tear and so forth. Similarly, ‘inappropriate use’ is frowned upon, and further limitations can apply if the minibus was carrying high category hazardous goods or is used in a hazardous location. Loss or damage associated with acts of terrorism attract comparable limitations.

As is clearly evident, our minibus insurance policy summary is just this, a precis of the insurance cover. The full story lies in the full policy document, which will give you all the details you need. Here, the insurance policy summary has done its work, in describing the key points. However, studying the full extent of the insurance and the limitations that apply to it is good advice. Armed with the information in its fullest form, you can buy minibus insurance with confidence.

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What’s small and highly specialised? The industry that offers conversions of standard minibuses for use by disabled passengers. An increasingly caring society has worked hard to cater for the disabled, wheelchair users included, and this is reflected in the output of this small but dedicated band of expert companies.

Before examining the surprisingly comprehensive range of equipment on offer, let’s look at the recipient - the archetypal minibus. The products of Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Iveco, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volkswagen have one facet in common. Whether they have a short or long wheelbase, a high top or a sliding side door, they are all flat-floored vans. More to the point, each can be bought as a minibus. With a few additions to the specification, each can become a disabled minibus.

The first aspect that warrants consideration is arguably the most important. Access is a hugely important factor for the disabled user, whether wheelchair-bound or not. For the ambulant disabled person, the simplest addition to a standard minibus could be a foot-operated slide-out step, fitted below the minibus’s side door. The wheelchair user obviously needs more and this is where the range of options begins to broaden.

The simplest addition is a folding ramp, to be used at the rear of the minibus. Such items are usually light in weight for easy handling and lock positively onto anchor points on the vehicle’s floor. Some ramp mechanisms are two-piece and refinements exist to make using them as easy as possible. For example, a load lamp may be specified to illuminate the ramp for loading and unloading a wheelchair-bound passenger after dark. It’s also possible to use a special winch to ease the loading/unloading process. Such a winch is usually electrically powered, by the minibus’s battery.

In some instances, particularly in a long-wheelbase minibus, the seating layout and floor space specification permits the addition of an hydraulic tail lift. Often, a base minibus with air suspension is used. This allows the vehicle itself to be lowered, making access easier still. Tail lift options can include an under floor lifting mechanism, or a sophisticated ‘Power Stow and Deploy’.

The internal layout of a disabled minibus may work on what we might call a mix and match system. Such a conversion uses a proven floor system, such as ‘Innotrax®’. This allows the minibus’s seats to be quickly and easily fixed or demounted. So, for example, a minibus might be set up to carry 15 passengers and five wheelchairs.

One further aspect of a disabled minibus is of immense importance. Being wheeled, a wheelchair must obviously be restrained when the minibus is in motion. This is also catered for by the floor system, which boasts four-point wheelchair securement. An integrated three-point inertia reel seat belt, attached to the same strong points that secure the wheelchair, is used to keep the wheelchair user safe in his or her chair.

As the above begins to show, a disabled minibus can have a specification ranging from the simple, to the highly complicated. The extent of modification specifically for disabled use is dependent on requirements. However, the materials and practices used may be tailored to those requirements, in virtually any popular base minibus.

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If you’d like to save money on your minibus insurance, look no further than The Minibus Club. Request a FREE quote now by calling our hotline on 0845 609 0323 or visit our website at www.minibusclub.co.uk.