Licence & Insurances req for small tours

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Hi

I have just today began looking into the possibility of starting a tour business.

What i would like to find out is what are the various licences and insurances that i would need in order to use a 7 seater people carrier to transport people in? I looked at minibuses initially but realised i would be better off starting small, are the requirements different to a minbus? Would i still require PSV licence and operating licence etc?

The tours i have in mind are day trips, 2/3 times a week, UK based and within a few hours drive, this would also be a secondary job/income so i believe if an operating licence is required that it would be a 'restricted' one.

Many thanks in advance

 

[alasdair1982]

Hi

Depending in seat capacity you'll either need a private hire licences issued by local authority or if over 8 seats a psv operators license. The latter being the more expensive and harder to obtain. A restricted will suffice providing its not your main income or supplements another business ie a night club that offers a pick up service etc.. You'll also need to prove financial standings £3100 in cleared funds for 3months for 1vehicle or £4800 for 2 vehicles.

It's all pretty straight forward but as with most things it's all about the paperwork.

Alasdair