Traveling to Europe in 17 Seater Minibus

Adult Staff Execs
1

Hi there, I wonder if someone can help. After contacting various organisation i.e. DVLA DVSA etc I cannot get a straight answer from them regarding the need for a Tachograph Card for the driver. Has anybody hired a minibus before to go to main land Europe and have you had to have a Tacho card?

Also is there anything else that we would need with taking a 17 seater rather than an 8 seater?

Thanks!

2

Ooo minefield.

In terms of driver cards, I would think you wouldn’t need one as you are not doing it for hire or reward. There’s a normal exemption, but only when permit 19 regs are in play or it’s a white fleet vehicle on MOD contract. Private hire contract with no permit 19 I don’t know.

In terms of kit to take, that depends on the countries you are going to drive through/to.

3

In the UK, in an MOD white fleet vehicle you are definitely tacho-exempt, however many private hires consider the larger vehicles to be commercial and their insurance only covers commercial and so they require operators licences and tachos.

In Europe you need to follow EU/AETR rules (https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/passenger-carrying-vehicles) and I’m afraid I dont know those.

I am fairly sure you are exempt however (https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/exemptions-from-eu-law) point 5 lists the following as exempt…

  • non-commercial vehicles under 7.5 tonnes - for example a person moving house or goods carried by a non-profit making group or registered charity
  • vehicles with between 10 to 17 seats used exclusively for non-commercial passengers, eg minibuses used by voluntary and community groups

I think you come under both of those two.

4

There is no difference between mandatory items for 17 seater/8 seat crew cab or car except that you need an appropriate number of high-vis for the number of passengers, as already said, the country visited makes the real difference.