Provided it is not Operating on an Operators Standard or Restricted licence and doesnt have a Certificate of Initial fitness they can...provided they past their driving test before Jan 1997 you can..


Its all explained here..


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022498


Lots of council drivers drive school minibuses and they get paid and not many of them have D1 licences..just some ha'penny council supplied certificate..

Its only poor daft beggars like you and I with a minibus Licence that suffers...as on top of the D1 licence we need a CPC...where is the justice in that. you pas a more difficult D1 test then need a CPC to drive kids for reward and other people doing it for a weekly wage can get by on a car licence and no CPC and still drive 16 kids about.

Damned strange world we live in!!!

Driving licence held before 1 January 1997
If you had entitlement to drive cars before 1 January 1997 you can drive a minibus provided it has a maximum of 17 seats including the driver's seat and is not being used for hire or reward. Your minibus entitlement will remain valid in the United Kingdom until your licence is next renewed.

Exempted passenger carrying vehicles
Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the vehicles listed below:

a passenger carrying vehicle manufactured more than 30 years before the date when it is driven and not used for hire or reward or for the carriage of more than 8 passengers
a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats provided the following conditions are met:
i. the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body but not for hire or reward
ii. the driver is aged 21
iii. the driver has held a car (category B) licence for at least 2 years
iv. the driver is providing the service on a voluntary basis
v. the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes or 4.25 tonnes including any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers
vi. if the driver is aged 70 or over, is able to meet the health standards for driving a D1 vehicle

When driving a minibus under these conditions you may not receive any payment or consideration for doing so other than out of pocket expenses or tow any size trailer; you may only drive minibuses in this country. Drivers aged 70 or over will need to make a special application, which involves meeting higher medical standards.

Your minibus entitlement will remain valid in the United Kingdom until your licence is next renewed.

This might bring an end to it....but only for those that have a plastic licence, those with old paper ones will have no need to renew them until theyre 70 or get points..

can you get away without having the plastic licence?