Hi everyone,
If this question has been asked in another thread, please feel free to point me in that direction but I am looking at options for privately hiring minibuses for various Squadron activities.
Is anyone aware of any restrictions from HQ RAFAC that would stop us from privately hiring through the many lease companies??
Not sure if it would affect the clarity contract but you will need a permit 19 if you are hiring a minibus.
That’s all I know to add as well. Except to also say Bob down the road might not be the best resource because he happens to own one and is cheaper…
9 seaters will not need a P19 or a D1 licence.
I was looking at the national lease companies to use to ensure compliance and a few of them have 17 seater minibus lite which allows anyone to drive who is aged over 25, driven for a min of 5 years and the weight is under 3.5T. If there are no RAFAC restrictions other than a Permit 19 then it seems this would be a cost effective option then looking at an SoV.
I did these calculations for a scout group a few years back.
Based on actual usage it was about 1/4 of the cost to hire a vehicle through a community scheme than to own (commercial firms were more but still a saving).
It was rejected on the grounds that it wasn’t convenient - leaders couldn’t just pick up the bus and go - and not guaranteed as the hire outfit mightn’t have a bus the weekend it was needed.
I’d always be inclined to agree with that. Did your calculations account for a figure on volunteer time to pick up / return the bus? Often this is in working hours and makes it almost as inconvenient as using an MT bus.
In this case no as the supplier was walking distance away. Another issue though with commercial quotes was charging for 3 days for a weekend.
So something like ÂŁ2400 pa not ÂŁ1800 based on 10 weekends.
Just remember that the 3.5T weight limit (or 4.25 if fitted with a ramp) includes the bus, and it’s passengers.
If you read the small print on those vehicles, they often come with a much smaller payload than you might think - some are around 350kg before you max out. That’s only about 4 or 5 small cadets, The driver, and a supervising CFAV.
Thanks everyone for your help as ever.
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