Minibus Club Article Archive

When we get down to basics, a minibus is just like any other machine. Machines don’t like to lie idle and they don’t appreciate neglect. At best, an untended machine will cease to function. At worst, it can damage itself or someone in or near to it. These unfortunate outcomes are reason enough to keep a regular weather eye on a minibus’s health. Check it on a weekly basis and especially when a long trip is upcoming. It makes sense to start with the grubby bits, as they work the hardest and therefore need more attention. So, pop the bonnet, eyes down and look in.

The first item to use in the dark recesses of the underbonnet is the oil dipstick. Check the oil with the engine cold. The oil should be clean and at the correct level. If it is filthy, black and sticky, it’s time for a change. If it’s low, add some more. Consulting the handbook will reveal how much oil is needed, but don’t overfill the engine. The oil should be at the correct level and the engine will thank you for this, by running reliably.

Your minibus’s underbonnet has five more levels to be checked. Plain water is old hat these days, an engine’s cooling system will be full of coolant. You can see if it’s full by consulting the translucent header tank. If the coolant level is low, rectify this by adding the correct mixture of water and antifreeze/anticorrosive agent. Remember that you can only carry out this check on a cold engine. In fact, you can carry it out once on a hot engine. If you do, be nice to the staff in the burns unit - suddenly releasing the pressure in a hot cooling system can unleash a startlingly potent geyser.

Next up, under the bonnet of a modern minibus, are two fluids. Brake fluid works really well, provided it’s there and it’s wise to ensure the level is correct. Like the coolant header tank, the brake master cylinder has a see-though reservoir. You may also need to top up the clutch master cylinder, if you minibus has one, rather than a cable-operated clutch. The second fluid is that serving the power steering. This is often checked using a tiny dipstick that lives under the cap of the power steering reservoir. Finally, you may need to check the level of the electrolyte in the battery. Or you may not, as some batteries need no maintenance. The handbook will tell you which kind of battery is involved. Finish off your engine bay tasks by checking the screen wash fluid reservoir.

The remaining checks can be carried out in better-illuminated areas, starting with those other hardworking items, the tyres. Checking that these are at the right pressure is as easy as it is worthwhile. However, it pays to look closely at the rubberware. You can find out about any odd wear patterns, cuts, cracks or other tyre misdemeanors while the vehicle is stationary. Or you can find out something’s awry the hard way, at speed on a dual carriageway or motorway. This choice stands as the ultimate no-brainer!

Finally, a touch of glass. Cleaning all the minibus’s glassware is an obvious requirement, as is giving the lights and indicators a wipe. Moreover, with the help of an assistant, you can check that every bulb on board is in prime order.

There, that wasn’t difficult, was it? Now you can carry on, feeling virtuous at having done your duty. You’ve protected your vehicle, yourself, your passengers and perhaps innocent bystanders. What more could be asked of anyone?

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If you’re a car driver and you find yourself piloting a minibus, you’re bound to experience mixed feelings. There’s a great deal about the hot seat that will be familiar, what with there being a steering wheel, a handbrake, a gear lever or selector and some pedals. On the other hand, the driver’s seat in a minibus will feel a long way from the ground. Equally, the unparalleled vista given by the big windows and screen will highlight the sheer bulk of the vehicle. However, fear not. The only real differences between a minibus and a car can be expressed in two words: size and weight. Allowing for these differences is easy enough and after some practise, you’ll be driving the minibus like a professional.

Where do drivers new to minibuses go wrong? They tend to forget about the scale of things as regards the minibus. Once this is accommodated on an active basis, matters become far easier.

Let’s begin with the first of the differences. Compared to a car, a minibus is wide, long and tall, and realising this by clipping an obstacle, either on the road or during parking, is a realisation too late. Moreover, it’s both embarrassing and expensive. So, start learning minibus-driving skills in a suitable place. There are plenty of large car parks to be found, at out of town shopping centres for example. Finding one and using it will allow you to become accustomed to the size of the vehicle, as well as the way it responds to its controls. It’s worth taking an assistant at this stage, as well as a few empty cardboard boxes. Why? Put it this way, would you rather nudge a cardboard box or someone’s car or a bollard when practicing parking and manoeuvering? Enough said.

Minibus tyros often forget about the height of their new charge. Car park height barriers are the obvious danger but overhanging trees and other roadside foliage won’t do the vehicle’s paint much good. It’s easy to allow for these obstructions. However, some minibus learner drivers take the trouble to add a label to the minibus’s dash or windscreen. Having a clearly visible note of the vehicle’s height, width and length near the eye line is good practice. With this, the driver can start thinking of the minibus as a mobile box, with dimensions as noted. This could save you a small fortune in minor damage claims.

The second aspect is the weight of the minibus. Power steering and brakes, good sound insulation and car-like interiors are all very well but they can seduce drivers into thinking a minibus is lighter than it is in reality. This doesn’t mean that it will fall through a hole in the road but it does mean that the minibus will be slower to accelerate, less accomplished in bends and take longer to stop than a car. Allowing for this extra weight is important: remember that with a full load of fuel and passengers, the minibus will weigh still more.

The final aspect to consider is the minibus’s ‘footprint’ on the road. No, this has nothing to do with carbon, we’re talking about the physical presence of the vehicle. Everyone knows how imposing an articulated lorry is, as compared to a car. At perhaps twice the size of car and three times its weight, a minibus can bully small cars, and especially cyclists and pedestrians. The driver must therefore be aware of what he or she is driving, and drive accordingly. This means avoiding tailgating, not making unclear signals and not making either excessive or vague inputs to the controls. In general, the driver should be aware of the responsibilities associated with driving a bigger vehicle, and drive like a professional, in keeping with these responsibilities.

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EU legislation has opened the roads of Europe to all manner of vehicles. Anyone can take their vehicle aboard a ferry or through the Eurotunnel with a minimum of fuss and emerge across the water, ready to drive merrily away on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. However, when taking a minibus to Europe, there are some more legal requirements to meet, as well as specific items to acquire. Let’s take a look at what’s needed.

The first requirement is essential for any vehicle with more than eight passenger seats. A minibus travelling for a profit-making organisation must carry a waybill. Which is - what? A waybill is a document that comes in one of two forms. An EU Journey Form covers travelling in EU member states. The alternative, an ASOR waybill, is for use outside the EU and must be accompanied by a set of translated versions.

What if the minibus is being run for a non profit-making organisation? It still needs a ‘control document’ but here, the waybill’s place is taken by an ‘Own Account Certificate’, a.k.a an OAC. This costs nothing and will allow a minibus to be used in the EU for up to five years. These control documents can be sourced from the International Road Freight Office (tel. 0191 2014090).

Now for - more documents. The minibus driver will also need an insurance certificate, a European accident form, the vehicle’’s registration document and his or her full passport and driving licence. In addition, unless the registered keeper of the vehicle, he or she will need a formal ‘permission to drive’ letter from the vehicle’s owner. It’s also worth taking a Green Card, which the minibus insurance provider can supply. Nowadays, an International Driving Permit, or IDP, isn’t necessary in EU and EEA countries. However, travelling beyond the member states makes one a necessity.

Minibus documents done? Not quite but the final ‘document’ is a little unusual. International journeys that begin in the UK must be monitored by a tachograph and the card on which the ’spy in the cab’ records constitutes the last of the necessary documents. It also shows that the driver is complying with EU driver’s hours regulations.

Now for the more tangible additions to the minibus itself. UK minibuses can wear their GB sticker or EU-style GB number plates with pride, and they must. A reflective warning triangle and waistcoat or jacket are legal requirements; the latter must be carried in the cab. Finally, most European countries insist on a spare set of vehicle bulbs being carried on board.

Apart from the obvious matters of making sure that the minibus has been serviced, has good tyres and is fighting fit to travel far, the above is what’s needed to venture onto foreign soil. All that remains is to add an imprecation - remember to drive on the right - and say ‘Bon Voyage’. The latter is easy to achieve and as for the former, getting used to the European Southpaw routine is much easier than it sounds!

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You can’t drive a motor vehicle without insurance; the law says so. Commonsense says exactly the same thing as, whether you’re driving a motorcycle, car or minibus, having no insurance could leave you paying out for a lifetime in the event of a claim.

A minibus, defined as a vehicle with nine to 16 seats, may be used in any of a number of roles. It could transport fare-paying passengers as a taxi, hotel guests, employees, nursing home residents, schoolchildren, local authority staff or charity workers and their charges. Some of these uses require specialised elements in insurance cover but let’s begin with the basics.

The minimum level of minibus (or any vehicle) insurance cover is Third Party, often contracted to TPO (Third Party Only). This really is the barest minimum insurance cover and if you are considering it as the best, then the words ‘false economy’ spring to mind.

Why? Well, consider this scenario. Your minibus is running perfectly well on the road. You’ve been driving for a while so you pull in for a coffee. While drinking your hard-earned latte, you see your hard-won minibus driving away with a thief at the wheel. Should you be worrying? You should if you have TPO insurance. Your minibus is gone and unless it’s found, you won’t be buying another because you weren’t insured for theft. Could things be worse? Yes, if your minibus is damaged or destroyed by fire, there’s no fire insurance either.

Potential events like these explain the popularity of Third Party, Fire and Theft insurance for minibuses and other vehicles. Is this contracted to TPF&T? Yes, although generally, the cover usually insures your passengers too, as in TPFT&P (Third Party, Fire, Theft and Passenger). These parameters give cover against liability for the death of and/or injury to third parties, as well as against liability for damage to others’ property. The legal costs in connection with claims against your insurance policy are generally covered too.

Minibus insurance, like most things, has a top-of-the-range choice. This is Comprehensive insurance, which covers all the above and more. Damage to the minibus’s windscreen and windows, post-accident medical expenses and the replacement of personal effects lost to fire, theft or accident damage may also be covered. Any good insurance provider will have the details of what is and isn’t insured.

Insurance matters don’t end here, regardless of whether the vehicle in question is a minibus or another kind of vehicle. Tailored extensions can usually be added to your insurance policy, to suit the use to which the vehicle is being put. For example, using a minibus on the Continent may warrant extended cover, while European breakdown cover is usually offered and is well worth buying. In some countries, you may need a Green Card, which proves that your insurance complies with the laws concerning the minimum level of cover. However, this is no longer essential in EU countries, all 31 of them. In those countries where a Green Card is required, it will allow a minibus to be driven there for a maximum of 90 days. Your insurance provider may supply a green card where necessary but if not, will probably be able to arrange for one to be sent to you.

As is often the case, it’s better to have more insurance than you need than to need more insurance than you have. Ensure you have the former, with the aid of your provider - and the small print.

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After an accident happens, you have to fill in a claim form. It’s hardly rocket science, whether your’e claiming on a minibus insurance policy or not, but some people clearly have problems, as the following true quotes show.

Not a minibus, a full-sized one, caused this claimant to make a lame excuse:

‘Going to work at 7am this morning I drove out of my drive straight into a bus. The bus was 5 minutes early.’.

That’s a good starter but how about this,

‘The accident happened because I had one eye on the lorry in front, one eye on the pedestrian and the other on the car behind.’

Cleary, this person’s knowledge of basic anatomy is suspect.

A minibus can need a little more in the way of stopping distance than a car does, but that doesn’t explain this,

‘I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought.’

Yes - and I think we can all feel for this poor pooch:

‘I pulled into a lay-by with smoke coming from under the hood. I realised the car was on fire so took my dog and smothered it with a blanket.’

Of course, minibuses have taken people to petting zoos. While we’re in the animal kingdom, we can reflect on accidents involving them:

Q: What warning was given by you? A: Horn. Q: What warning was given by the other party? A: Moo.

This creature sounds a little more intelligent than another cow but the claimant was arguably being unfair:

‘A cow wandered into my car. I was afterwards informed that the cow was half-witted.’

Then again, UK domestic animals aren’t the only culprits,

‘I started to turn and it was at this point I noticed a camel and an elephant tethered at the verge. This distraction caused me to lose concentration and hit a bollard.’

Moreover, God’s creatures needn’t be big to cause difficulties,

‘In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.’

Back in the vehicular world, is isn’t just minibuses that suffer breakdown-type problems,

‘On approach to the traffic lights the car in front suddenly broke.’

Did it really? Could be worse,

‘I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident.’

Ooh Matron! Then there are those pesky vehicles,

‘An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.’

Plus, the talkative ones,

‘The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.’

Still, we can only pity the poor pedestrian,

‘The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again.’

Or this one,

‘A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.’

Sounds like he got it the wrong way round, unlike this one,

‘The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.’

Driver’s hours are restricted in a minibus, but not in every vehicle,

‘I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.’

Hmm, long shift. The closing quote, however, comes from a court appearance,

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July 15th
Q: What year?
A: Every year.

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Minibus insurance companies often move with the times and here, time is the essence of the story. While vehicle insurance is normally taken out over a 12-month period, the relatively recent development of making temporary insurance cover available is attracting customers with particular needs.

At the time of writing, eligibility for short-term minibus insurance cover is restricted. However, its availability to educational establishments and registered charities is proving more than merely opportune. Moreover, it may be the tip of the iceberg, given that such cover may be offered in the future to other organisations.

What, then, are the benefits offered by temporary minibus insurance? The need to not have an unused vehicle insured for road risks is an obvious plus. More to the point, insuring a minibus for a specific journey makes a lot of sense, particularly as periods of cover from just one day to 12 days are being offered. Comprehensive cover, in the form of a standalone policy in an additional driver’s name, is available and up to three additional drivers may be added to the policy. Perhaps most importantly, a policy can be arranged online, with documentation produced immediately. Just as significantly, no claims bonus existing on the holder’s principle annual policy is unaffected.

At this point, a provider whose policies are underwritten by QBE Insurance is offering temporary insurance cover for a minibus. Finding it is just a few mouse clicks away, and the opportunity to arrange and purchase insurance online means that the transaction can be made in less than five minutes.

Given the above restrictions, who might make use of this exciting new facility? In the education sector, it can solve many a problem for private or public schools, nurseries, kindergartens, music schools, technical colleges and universities. The attractive part is that special, short-term minibus insurance cover can be arranged to suit a trip to a specific concert, exhibition, movie or theatre performance. The same might apply for field trips, sporting events, and virtually any occurrence when attendance involves travelling by minibus.

Similar parameters apply to the registered charities sector. A community service, community transport or Dial A Ride minibus could be insured in this way, as could those used by churches and other religious charities, housing associations or welfare organisations. The availability extends to minibuses used by, or to travel to, youth hostels. Boys clubs, Scout groups, cadet groups, youth groups and other youth organisations would benefit too.

The final point is especially relevant in the economic climate we are currently facing. Meetings and events can be cancelled with little notice, as funding permits (or more accurately, does not permit). This means that organisations, whether they are charitable or educational, must be flexible. Their being able to arrange temporary minibus insurance cover quickly, and at short notice, means they can be as flexible as circumstances demand. Add the attraction of competitive pricing for this insurance cover and you have a package which has a great deal to offer, in more than the obvious sense.

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The secondhand minibus market can be as much a gold field as it is a minefield. Bargains exist to be snapped up by the wise, while there are pitfalls that can trap the unwary. Using the following tips will help you make the right choice.

1: Knowledge is power: Those who undertake the buying process with a wide-eyed, innocent approach tend to end up losing. Do your research, on the Internet, in magazines, books, newspapers or any other relevant source. Knowing more than the vendor about the minibus(es) in question puts you at an advantage.

2: Unprofessional body repairs couldn’t be easier to spot. Areas of colour that don’t quite match, ripply panels, badly-fitting doors and the like will be obvious, provided you don’t try to examine a rain-sodden minibus. Minor impact damage can be repaired successfully, by the pros but a poor repair suggests you look elsewhere.

3: What are the tyres like? Yes, they’re round black things but what about their condition. Balding treads can be a good bargaining point, on a minibus or car. Tyres with cracked sidewalls, lumps, bumps and cuts can be an accident waiting to happen. Look carefully for odd tread wear patterns. These could merely show the need for the steering to be re-tracked or they could be indicators of suspension damage.

4: Scrutinise the interior of the minibus. Should it be particularly shabby, the vehicle could have received some shabby treatment. Look especially at the steering wheel, the pedals and the speedometer. If the first two are shiny, the minibus is a high-miler. Damage to the screws around the instruments means the speedo may have been replaced or wound back. Slack windows and door fittings (especially on the driver’s side) are also high-mileage giveaways.

5: Now for a blood test, under the bonnet. The engine’s oil is its lifeblood. Pull out the dipstick and if it’s coated with thick, black, sludgy oil, the minibus’s service history is suspect. The oil, if it’s new-ish, should be clean and golden-brown.
While in the vicinity, take a look under the minibus. Should anything be leaking, the evidence will be there.

6: Ask for the minibus’s V5C, its registration certificate. Check that the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on this tallies with the one on the vehicle. You’ll find it on a chassis or body plate. Also, check the MOT certificate(s). The mileage figures should be progressive and believable.

7: Have a realistic test drive. A five-minute ’round the block’ test is no use at all. Drive for long enough for the engine and transmission to become thoroughly warm. Use the minibus as you intend to use it and don’t pussyfoot with the controls. Don’t forget to test all the electrical items, lights included.

8: You may be working for a charity but remember that dealers and vendors aren’t. You can expect to chip away at the price but insulting offers mark you as a timewaster. Remember that a dealer can offer a warranty. In a private purchase, you buy the minibus ‘as seen’. Should the engine explode on the way home, it’s your problem.

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Half a million people can’t be wrong, right? In fact, the Scout Association has more than 500,000 members, making it the UK’s biggest mixed youth movement. Moreover, the UK membership is a microcosm of what’s happening worldwide. Internationally, over 28 million youngsters across 216 countries enjoy the benefits of scouting. All of them have one thing in common: scout trips often rely on minibuses and good minibus insurance is required.

What is good minibus insurance, particularly for scout groups? Equally, where can you get such minibus insurance? The answers to these questions are simple enough but there’s an important point to bear in mind: not all minibus insurance is necessarily ‘good’.

The first requirement is legal insurance for the scout group’s minibus(es). Third-party insurance is the minimum legal requirement and it covers damage to the persons and property of third parties; some legal costs cover is usually included. This is, however, the most restricted type of insurance cover. A good insurer will generally recommend a more highly specified level of cover; adding fire and theft insurance or choosing the full comprehensive minibus insurance are worthwhile upgrades to think about.

It is obvious to seek minibus insurance from a good minibus insurance broker, but what makes such a broker ‘good’. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, insurance quotes must be attractively priced and the level of service must be high. Comparing insurance on price alone is a common, though hardly far sighted practice. As we’re talking ‘good’, it makes sense to look in some detail at the services provided in, or with, the insurance policy being considered.

What does this mean? To explain, we can look at the provisions made by a good minibus insurance concern. They include the following.

* AA-provided accident recovery.
* UK-based administration and call centres.
* Optional breakdown and recovery assistance, including AA ‘Homestart’.
* A freephone helpline that operates 24 hours daily, 365 days a year.
* Optional uninsured loss recovery, with cover for an appointed lawyer, up to £1m legal costs, and vehicle hire costs if part of the claim is agreed.
* The ability to pay in instalments.
* Swift turnaround of documentation.

It is quite clear that, with a minibus insurance policy, or with any kind of insurance policy for that matter, there are a number of boxes to be ticked. As is usually the case, there is a wealth of information to be found in the small print. Striking the correct balance between provisions, restrictions and price is merely a matter of undertaking assiduous research.

In the final analysis, finding the right insurance broker is an excellent stepping-stone towards choosing the right minibus insurance policy. In this instance, ‘right’ refers to the policy that covers not just most of the scout group’s needs but all of them. Setting aside the time to research the insurance cover you need is worthwhile, as it becomes time well spent. Here, the Scout Group’s motto, ‘Be Prepared’, couldn’t apply more!

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Some say it’s a man thing but it could also be a woman thing for all we know. The point is that some drivers, of minibuses or otherwise, feel that they can drive for intergalactic distances without turning a hair. Particularly when it comes to driving a minibus, you’re in charge of not only a large lump of moving metal, glass and plastic, you’re in charge of others’ lives. This is why minibus driving regulations exist and here, we’ll look at them as they apply in the UK. The regulations are a form of minibus insurance in their own right, and they are sensible enough.

When driving in the UK, minibus drivers are subject to UK Domestic Drivers’ Hours Rules. What’s more, you’re also subject to the Working Time Regulations 1998, S.I. 1833. Yes, this means very little to everyone else too, so an explanation of the definitions and limits that apply follows.

We can begin with what is considered a rest break. This is defined as, ‘Any period that a driver is freely able to dispose of his time, when not working during employment or carrying out other work, for a period of at least 1 hour.’. More simply, it’s an hour off duty; it’s insurance against nodding off at the wheel, or making a silly, possibly fatal, mistake.

So, for how long can you drive in a day? Domestic driver’s limits say you can drive for up to 10 hours at the wheel, actually driving. Add the required rest breaks and you can spend a total of 16 hours on duty in any one day. ‘Simples’, as the meerkat in the ads says. However, there is more, as follows.

You may drive for a maximum of 5.5 hours followed by a rest break 30 minutes long.
Alternatively, you may drive for 8.5 hours, including a 45-minute break, provided a further, 30-minute break follows.
You must rest for a minimum of 10 hours between working days. This can be reduced to a rest period of 8.5 hours on up to three days in any one week.
Between any two consecutive weeks, a minimum rest period of 24 hours must be taken.

The above is in fact perfectly simple, and all you need to know about now are the exceptions to the rules. These comprise the following.

Armed forces drivers, and the drivers of police and fire brigade vehicles are exempted from the limits.
Those not driving on public roads are exempted.
Private drivers, not receiving any payment for hire or reward and not driving in connection with employment are exempt.

These vehicles are also exempt from the 16 hours per day duty limit but not from the driving limits above.

Breakdown service vehicles (e.g. AA, RAC)
Vehicles used for inspection, maintenance, repair, installation, fitting or cleaning.
Vehicles used for commercial purposes, and goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes.
Vehicles used by health authority staff: doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, and vets.
Vehicles used for film work, or radio and TV broadcasting.

Given that the above recommendations are to stop an outcome involving travelling along a roadside crash barrier like some sort of bizarre monorail car, they’re hardly Draconian. Nevertheless there is a final proviso that is equally sensible. Should an event occur that demands immediate action to preserve life or health, or to give immediate access to telecommunication or postal services, the UK Domestic Rules are relaxed.

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Hello, good evening and welcome to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, or at least to that part of it concerned with seatbelts in minibuses. Theses regulations aren’t exactly a riveting read but they’re worthy enough. After all, it’s been accepted for many years that proper seatbelts are a good thing to have in any vehicle. Quite apart from its being illegal to not wear seatbelts if fitted, your minibus insurance company may have something to say about their not being (a) available and (b) in use.

Seatbelt requirements vary, according to the age of the vehicle in question, the type of seats it has, how many passengers it can carry and what kind of passengers they are. For example, the means of restraining children or wheelchair users makes a difference. Conversely, the class of licence the minibus driver holds, or the type of permit used (if any) make no difference.

It makes sense, and not just for minibus insurance purposes, to observe the regulations assiduously, remembering that the state of the belts needs to be checked more often than in the compulsory yearly MOT test; seatbelts that are badly fitted and/or in poor condition are hardly likely to do what they should in an accident. Moreover, if a vehicle that should have seatbelts is used without them, the driver and the operator could be prosecuted. Remember, when looking at seatbelts or having them fitted, that more than just the belts are involved. The compatibly and state of repair of the seats, the vehicle’s floor and/or wall, the belt anchorage and its reel mechanism are all highly relevant.

Two types of seatbelt are in use and recognised by minibus insurance concerns. Three point seatbelts - the lap-and-strap kind - are the items of choice. These restrain the upper body in an accident, and new minibuses will have factory fitted items of this type. Though they represent the legal minimum requirement for rear seats (but not for use with child passengers), two-point seatbelts, a.k.a. lap straps, are liable to be discontinued in the future. Apart from the fact that lap straps can’t restrain a passenger’s upper body during an accident, they can lead to internal injuries if used incorrectly.

Want to have seatbelts retro-fitted? Doing this is fine, provided certain points are remembered. This is especially so when belts are retro-fitted to a PSV or a vehicle operating under a Section 22 permit.

The fitting of seatbelts is a notifiable alteration. Meaning? Well, the Vehicle Inspectorate has to be told and a one-off inspection must be carried out at a Class V or VI testing station. The installation naturally has to pass the test. This requirement began in 1988 and if the vehicle has removable seats, they must be left aboard for the test. The installation of more seating means a further installation check would be required.

Your minibus insurance company takes a healthy interest in changes to minibus seats and seatbelts. If you were to alter the seats, add more of them or fit seatbelts without letting the insurance provider know, your may find out to your cost if you make a claim.

Apart from keeping your minibus insurance company updated, ensure that the seatbelt fitter is a fully qualified specialist. Some minibus manufacturers will retrofit seatbelts, using genuine parts to make a system that complies with all the regulations; expect written confirmation to prove this. Finally, it’s wise to have the installation tested and witnessed by the Vehicle Certification Agency.

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If you’d like to save money on your minibus insurance look no further than The Minibus Club. Why not visit their website to receive a free online quote for minibus insurance.