Minibus Insurance Guide

Check to see if your minibus is ready to be insured and which insurance is right for you.

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Part of Brightside Insurance Services Ltd

Your Guide to Minibus Insurance

As part of Brightside Insurance, we here at One Insurance Solution understand that finding a Minibus Insurance quote can potentially be a complex process. Whether you need private minibus insurance or a policy for commercial use, minibuses can traditionally be more complicated to arrange than standard Car Insurance. With so many different covers available for specific uses, it can be tricky to know where to begin.

However, help is at hand. Based on our expert industry knowledge on insurance for minibuses, this Minibus Insurance Guide can help you choose and obtain the correct cover quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re looking for Minibus Insurance for private minibus use, commercial minibus insurance, driving a school minibus, family minibus insurance, minibus insurance for charities or any purpose in-between – you can find all the information you need to answer your questions about Minibus Insurance in this guide. Then you should be able to get your minibus on the road in no time.

What is a Minibus?

A minibus is a flexible vehicle used for a variety of circumstances. A minibus is broadly described as an 8-18 passenger seated vehicle. This capacity can increase to 23 seats. Minibus classification also takes weight into account. Vehicles classified as minibuses are less than 3.5 tonnes and include surrounding windows. A minibus should not be confused with an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) that carries a maximum of 7 passengers. Our most popular policies are on 17 seater minibus insurance covers but can arrange insurance on less or more seats.

What type of Insurance do I need for my Minibus?

The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that all vehicles on the road in the UK must be insured against third-party risks. This means it is compulsory to have motor Insurance in the UK. Insurance for minibuses can be costlier as they are larger, carry more passengers than cars, and are generally more expensive vehicles in this regard. In most cases, you can insure the vehicle to be driven by multiple drivers for a number of different uses. The levels of insurance cover offered are:

• Third Party Only Insurance – This is the basic level of cover and only covers other vehicles on the road. Therefore damage to the owner’s vehicle would not be covered. Due to the minimal cover offered this insurance is usually the cheapest.
• Third Party Fire and Theft Insurance – This is the same as Third Party only however fire damage and theft of the vehicle is covered.
• Fully Comprehensive Insurance – This is the top level of cover and all of the above is included as well as any damage to your own vehicle and accidental damage. Comprehensive cover can be argued to be the most popular level of cover for many minibus drivers.

Am I licensed to drive a Minibus?

You are licensed to drive a Minibus with up to 16 seats if you:

Are over 21 Years old
Obtained your full UK Licence over 2 years ago
Meet the Group 2 medical standards if you’re over 70 years old
Are not towing a trailer behind the minibus
Using the vehicle for social, domestic & pleasure and commuting to a single place of work

Need help?

If you are using your Minibus for the following purposes, there are extra steps that need to be taken in order to be licensed correctly:

Minibus Insurance for Hire & Reward

If your vehicle has 9 seats including the driver’s seat you will need to obtain a Taxi Badge from your local council. If your vehicle has 10 seats or more including the driver’s seat you will require a PSV licence from the DVSA. Whether you are licensed by your local council or VOSA under a PSV licence you will need a Public Hire Minibus Insurance or a Private Hire Minibus Insurance Policy.

Minibus Insurance for Charities, Sports Clubs or Voluntary Organisations

If you are an individual or non-profit organisation that requests passengers to contribute financially towards running costs i.e. fuel expenses, you will need to apply for a minibus permit from the DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency). This is known as a Section 19 Minibus Permit, which allows a community organisation to charge and carry their members and people whom the organisation exists to help. If on the other hand you do not request any contribution for this service, you may not need to apply for any permit.

Minibus for Community Bus Service

There is also a specific licence in place for Minibuses being used for non-profit, local community bus services, this is known as a Section 22 Permit. This permit differs from the Section 19 Permit as it allows the holder to carry members of the general public. The Section 22 Permit is also valid for larger vehicles. It can be applied to vehicles with more than 17 seats as long as the traffic commissioner is satisfied that the vehicle will remain in a roadworthy condition. A local bus service is described as a service using a public service vehicle, by separate fares, where a passenger will travel for 15 miles or less in any one trip.

Minibus Insurance for School or Scout Group

If minibus driving is a requirement of your job (i.e. Written into your employment contract) when working for a school or educational body, you must have a valid ‘D1 Entitlement’ for minibus use on your Driving Licence. If you obtained the UK Licence prior to 1st January 1997, the D1 is usually included automatically. If you passed your driving test on or after 1st January 1997, you will only be licensed to drive a minibus on a voluntary basis (i.e. Where driving is not a direct condition of your employment, and not written into your employment contract).

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get minibus fleet insurance and/or any driver minibus insurance, meaning you could have multiple vehicles with multiple drivers all on one policy.

How does Minibus Insurance differ from Car Insurance?

In many ways Minibus Insurance is very similar to everyday private car insurance. In most cases your existing private car no claims bonus can be transferred to a Minibus policy to gain a discount. Due to their larger size, increased number of seats and higher value, the average Minibus insurance cost is higher than that of both car and mpv Insurance.

Can you insure my Minibus?

One Insurance Solution is one of the leading Minibus Insurance brokers in the UK. As such, when looking for a Minibus Insurance quote with us, you have access to a wide and flexible panel of the biggest-name minibus insurance companies in the UK. These minibus insurers cater for individuals, businesses, sports clubs, charities and organisations of all backgrounds. They can cover a wide range of vehicles including non-standard minibuses as well as the ability to provide minibus fleet insurance. We provide yearly policies at great premiums but are currently unable to provide daily minibus insurance

What else can I include on my policy?

For those that prefer extra peace of mind whilst out on the roads, additional products are a great way to achieve it. You can pick and choose exactly what you want to further protect you, your vehicle, your passengers or those around you. Check out the additional products available on minibuses.

Vehicle Replacement

Vehicle Replacement can be argued to be one of the most commonly taken up additional features to any motor insurance policy. A like for like vehicle will be provided within 24 hours of the incident and made available for 14 days, if the minibus is deemed to be un-driveable or declared a total loss as a result of: vandalism, fire, theft or attempted theft. Also, we can also agree a Vehicle Replacement if a fault accident takes place.

Minibus Breakdown Cover

Our Breakdown cover is provided by one of the leading breakdown companies in the UK, commonly known as the RAC. They provide full minibus breakdown cover across the UK and will always look to repair the vehicle at the roadside. If the vehicle is unrepairable the RAC will transport the minibus and its passengers (up to a limit of 16 individuals) to a destination of the driver’s choice within 10 miles of breakdown. Home Start is automatically included within this level of cover.

Key Cover

Key Cover provides that extra level of cover for those of us who are prone to losing our keys. Locksmith charges and replacement keys are included, making sure you won’t be stranded whether your keys get lost, stolen or damaged. What’s more, all keys attached to the fob are covered under this level of cover making sure any keys lost are replaced up to a limit of £1500. This always includes pairing to the immobiliser which is a costly requirement.

Legal Protection

At One Insurance Solution we provide Legal Protection, offering you legal advice to recover your uninsured losses if you’re involved in an accident that wasn't your fault. Solicitors and court fees are included and the policy holder is able to put forward a claim for loss of earnings if unable to work after an accident.

Personal Accident

Personal Accident cover protects you in the event of a serious injury or death resulting from an accident whilst driving, getting in or out of your vehicle, or whilst loading or unloading your vehicle. This policy covers up to £50,000 per person with a maximum claim limit of £350,000.

(For commercial use only)

Public Liability

Public Liability cover can be particularly important for a business minibus user. You can protect yourself against any claims by members of the public that relate to injury or damage to property caused by you or your business. This cover is for events (not already insured) that happen outside of the vehicle. Minimum cover is £1,000,000, but this can be extended to £10,000,000. Some councils require their minibus drivers to have public liability cover, and most school contracts require drivers to have cover for £10,000,000, however this can vary.

(For commercial use only)

Excess Protection

Excess Protection is a good way of getting a lower premium, allowing you to select a higher level of excess and reduce your payments. As such, Minibus Excess Insurance is particularly useful in ensuring you don’t lose out on money unnecessarily. Following an accident you are liable to pay the total insurance excess on the policy in order to make a claim. Adding Excess Protection to your policy will pay you back the money you paid out to make a claim once the claim is settled. We offer three levels of cover which can be tailored to suit every policy. Level 1 provides £300, level 2 provides £500 and level 3 £1000.

Still confused about Minibus Insurance?

If you still have any unanswered Minibus Insurance questions, then please give us a call on 0333 4141569 and we’ll be more than happy to provide you with a Minibus Insurance quote. Alternatively fill out the below and we will call you

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