I was hoping some of you would be able to help me find out if I can drive a 1972 open top double decker bus that has been converted into a bar on my class 2 licence. It has no other seats other than the drivers seat. I have not completed my last two modules on my Driver CPC as I stopped driving trucks last year. I will be driving it for business as I am hiring it out , also anyone want to hire it let me know 
Thanks for any help you have, the search just brings up two many random answers.
Cheers
Danny
I think you will need an O licence, but yes if you’re not carrying passengers when moving.
How many seats on the log book? Is it taxed as a PCV?
It says HGV on the tax disc , 16170 kg gross 1997 Bristol BLMC number of seats inc driver 1
There’s ways around it depending on the type of work your doing with it, what kind of events are you wanting to do with it…but more to the point have you any pics and how far south are you willing to go? Is it free and you take the takings or what? If your looking at music festivals you have to pay a pitch fee and/or a percentage of your profits.
blueroom1:
It says HGV on the tax disc , 16170 kg gross 1997 Bristol BLMC number of seats inc driver 1
If it’s registered as a HGV then it would be a class 2 vehicle.
Hi,
I’ve got lots of options. I’m prepared to go as far as is needed.
A dry hire could be £1000 but you get to sell and stock it yourself
Or I could stock it depending on expected crowds etc. Each individual event would be Differnt. I’m in leicester. Will I need to complete my driver CPC to drive it ?
I’ve got a resricted o licence for 2 trucks going through the traffic office this month …
You can drive a bus on a Class 2 HGV licence, provided it is registered as HGV taxation class, I drove this on an HGV licence one Summer. I seem to recall that you are allowed to carry up to four non-fare paying passengers too.
Trade platers can move buses with no passengers with a HGV licence.
People buy buses and turn them into various static businesses.
The registered keeper can be someone else and the op could just be the driver.
Then at the event the op is just a casual worker or self employed worker to run the business.
You’re going to be driving it for commercial reasons? I think you will need you CPC
Why not just do the last 2 modules to be on the safe side.
It wont be a bus because of the lack of seats ,the weight of it will make it qualify as a commercial vehicle so the driver will need a C licence therefore you need your DCPC to drive commercialy.
I bought an old 1940 bus in 1972 that had been used by a showman as a van towing his caravan behind. It was plated as an HGV and I rebuilt it to its original condition and it is now registered as a heavy motor car with 56 seats.
I have never had a PCV licence but me or anyone else with an older car licence can drive it or any other old bus over thirty years old with a maximum of 8 passengers but not for hire or reward. Thats if they can manage a crash gearbox.You also do not need to attend the dumbo lessons.
The law is an â– â– â– again when a person not used to outdated vacuum brakes can drive this bus with 8 passengers but can not drive a modern PCV registered bus empty.
dowahdiddyman:
Why not just do the last 2 modules to be on the safe side.
I am going to do the last modules now , as I suppose I will need them anyway, even with my 7.5t recovery truck.
Numbum:
I bought an old 1940 bus in 1972 that had been used by a showman as a van towing his caravan behind. It was plated as an HGV and I rebuilt it to its original condition and it is now registered as a heavy motor car with 56 seats.
I have never had a PCV licence but me or anyone else with an older car licence can drive it or any other old bus over thirty years old with a maximum of 8 passengers but not for hire or reward. Thats if they can manage a crash gearbox.You also do not need to attend the dumbo lessons.
The law is an â– â– â– again when a person not used to outdated vacuum brakes can drive this bus with 8 passengers but can not drive a modern PCV registered bus empty.
Thanks for all the help, So I will brush off the C class licence and book the last two modules for the test.
Any body want to tackle the tachograph questions ? will I need it? I’m only delivering it to the location and not using it as a bus so does the driver need to use it ?
minefield of red tape.
also will my trade insurance cover the one the road stuff as I do have a set of trade plates, can i use those for delivering the bus to customers / sites ? more questions I know ,
blueroom1:
Numbum:
I bought an old 1940 bus in 1972 that had been used by a showman as a van towing his caravan behind. It was plated as an HGV and I rebuilt it to its original condition and it is now registered as a heavy motor car with 56 seats.
I have never had a PCV licence but me or anyone else with an older car licence can drive it or any other old bus over thirty years old with a maximum of 8 passengers but not for hire or reward. Thats if they can manage a crash gearbox.You also do not need to attend the dumbo lessons.
The law is an â– â– â– again when a person not used to outdated vacuum brakes can drive this bus with 8 passengers but can not drive a modern PCV registered bus empty.Thanks for all the help, So I will brush off the C class licence and book the last two modules for the test.
Any body want to tackle the tachograph questions ? will I need it? I’m only delivering it to the location and not using it as a bus so does the driver need to use it ?
minefield of red tape.
also will my trade insurance cover the one the road stuff as I do have a set of trade plates, can i use those for delivering the bus to customers / sites ? more questions I know ,
I would have thought yes to the tacho as I don’t see any reason for an exemption. You are using it commercially so should use a tacho.
Uou would have to ask your insurers if you are covered but again I doubt trade plates will cover you.
blueroom1:
I’ve got lots of options. I’m prepared to go as far as is needed.
A dry hire could be £1000 but you get to sell and stock it yourself
Or I could stock it depending on expected crowds etc. Each individual event would be Differnt.
blueroom1:
Any body want to tackle the tachograph questions ? will I need it? I’m only delivering it to the location and not using it as a bus so does the driver need to use it ?
minefield of red tape.
The fact that you’re not using it as a bus is irrelevant as far as the use of a tachograph is concerned because you’ll be using it as a goods vehicle.
If you was not going to be stocking the vehicle you may be able to claim exemption from EU tachograph regulations on the grounds that it’s a historical vehicle (over 25 years old) and you won’t be using it for the commercial carriage of goods, I think it would be a bit of a grey area but worth looking into.
However as you will be stocking the vehicle with commodities you will sell the historical vehicle thing is irrelevant, I can’t find any other exception from EU regulations that would be beneficial to you so you will be in-scope of EU regulations and therefore need to use a tachograph.
edit: By the way you won’t be able to legally drive the vehicle on trade plates, see here for more information on the use of trade plates.
Not a motor trader or a vehicle tester? carrying goods not for the purpose of road testing? then no to trade plates. Can’t see you being exempt from O licencing either.
tachograph:
blueroom1:
I’ve got lots of options. I’m prepared to go as far as is needed.
A dry hire could be £1000 but you get to sell and stock it yourself
Or I could stock it depending on expected crowds etc. Each individual event would be Differnt.blueroom1:
Any body want to tackle the tachograph questions ? will I need it? I’m only delivering it to the location and not using it as a bus so does the driver need to use it ?
minefield of red tape.The fact that you’re not using it as a bus is irrelevant as far as the use of a tachograph is concerned because you’ll be using it as a goods vehicle.
If you was not going to be stocking the vehicle you may be able to claim exemption from EU tachograph regulations on the grounds that it’s a historical vehicle (over 25 years old) and you won’t be using it for the commercial carriage of goods, I think it would be a bit of a grey area but worth looking into.
However as you will be stocking the vehicle with commodities you will sell the historical vehicle thing is irrelevant, I can’t find any other exception from EU regulations that would be beneficial to you so you will be in-scope of EU regulations and therefore need to use a tachograph.
edit: By the way you won’t be able to legally drive the vehicle on trade plates, see here for more information on the use of trade plates.
Tacho would he get away from not having to do his dcpc using the exemption that driving is not his main job, i.e he is a barman, the same way as a scaffolder does? Just an idea
wildfire:
Tacho would he get away from not having to do his dcpc using the exemption that driving is not his main job, i.e he is a barman, the same way as a scaffolder does? Just an idea
I think he would be on very thin ice on that one, he’s not transporting goods for his own use in his job or trade, he’s transporting goods to sell so I think he will need to complete the DCPC.