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Help - what paperwork do I need to drive a vintage bus

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RT4038

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I stand to be corrected but I am somewhat amazed that a PSV can be used commercially without an MOT. I think this needs further investigation.
If you use the exemption, you most certainly can’t use it ‘commercially’ (i.e. hire and reward). The limit on the number of passengers doesn’t apply as that’s a restriction on the driving licence but anyone sensible would surely put their bus through a voluntary test if they were planning to run with seventy people on board. If they didn’t and there was an accident, I can imagine the opposing counsel eating you for breakfast at the ensuing court case.
Yes you can. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...toric-classic-vehicles-mot-exemption-criteria

The reasoning for allowing this was because of changes to MOT requirements, particularly (but not only) braking, which meant that Historic vehicles would never be able to pass the more stringent rules, which were aimed at modern vehicles travelling at 62mph. There is still a requirement to maintain the vehicle in a roadworthy condition. A commercial operator would have to show that the vehicle was being regularly inspected and maintained as part of their Operator Licensing regime.

It was thought unlikely that this relaxation would result in a rash of Historic vehicle accidents (which it hasn't, so far), but if it did I am sure it would be looked at again.

Aside from the tiny, niche, Wedding Hire and similar type market, no-one is going to be operating 40+ year old vehicles regularly in commercial use. None will be PSVAR compliant and the ordinary private hire/tours and excursion market would not tolerate such elderly vehicles, quite apart from the large maintenance bill that regular use would soon rack up.
 
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DustyBin

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Couple of small points here…

The exemption from MOT applies if the bus is more than 40 years old and is in the historic vehicle class; not pre-1960. I MOT my buses, I’ve just MOTed my 1968 Bristol, but on a voluntary basis; a lot of bus owners do this.

If you use the exemption, you most certainly can’t use it ‘commercially’ (i.e. hire and reward). The limit on the number of passengers doesn’t apply as that’s a restriction on the driving licence but anyone sensible would surely put their bus through a voluntary test if they were planning to run with seventy people on board. If they didn’t and there was an accident, I can imagine the opposing counsel eating you for breakfast at the ensuing court case.

Anyway, none of this is relevant to the original question which I hope has been answered. The only point I haven’t seen discussed is insurance: it’s true that in theory you can drive a bus from 18, but almost every preserved bus insurance policy I’ve ever seen has lower and upper limits of 25 and 75.

I do strongly recommend to the OP that the they either take lessons, or ask someone who has access to private land to start there. Getting used to the size is the biggest challenge and it’s best to practice somewhere safe before you head towards the high street.

The question I was responding to was can a vehicle in commercial use “benefit” from the exemption, to which the answer is yes, if was built before 1960. The exemption for vehicles more than forty years old applies to vehicles not in commercial use; there are two sets of rules.

Yes you can. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...toric-classic-vehicles-mot-exemption-criteria

The reasoning for allowing this was because of changes to MOT requirements, particularly (but not only) braking, which meant that Historic vehicles would never be able to pass the more stringent rules, which were aimed at modern vehicles travelling at 62mph. There is still a requirement to maintain the vehicle in a roadworthy condition. A commercial operator would have to show that the vehicle was being regularly inspected and maintained as part of their Operator Licensing regime.

It was thought unlikely that this relaxation would result in a rash of Historic vehicle accidents (which it hasn't, so far), but if it did I am sure it would be looked at again.

Aside from the tiny, niche, Wedding Hire and similar type market, no-one is going to be operating 40+ year old vehicles regularly in commercial use. None will be PSVAR compliant and the ordinary private hire/tours and excursion market would not tolerate such elderly vehicles, quite apart from the large maintenance bill that regular use would soon rack up.

We have a 1964 Daimler with an inertia brake light switch; needless to say it fails (or rather failed) it’s MOT every year for non-operational brake lights!

In regard to your final point, companies such as Ensign Bus use their classic vehicles relatively intensively; I accept however that they’re something of an outlier in this regard.
 
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