London Minibuses
Finding the right minibus for London can be very different from choosing a vehicle that will spend most of its time on motorways or rural roads.
Choosing a minibus for driving in London
At Rivervale Minibus, we work with schools, charities, care providers, sports clubs, and organisations across London to help them find the right minibus for their needs. Whether you are looking to lease or buy a minibus in London, switch to electric, downsize to a smaller vehicle, or improve the confidence of your drivers, we can help.
Narrow streets, busy junctions, cyclists, pedestrians, limited parking, and emission zones all need to be considered alongside the number of passengers you need to carry. We can help you make an educated decision on the best option for you – whether that’s a smaller 9-seat vehicle that is easy to manoeuvre and park or a larger 17-seat minibus with D1 driver training for competent and confident drivers.
Considerations when choosing a London minibus
There is no single minibus that is right for every London organisation. A school regularly taking 16 pupils to fixtures outside London may need something very different from a charity transporting six people between locations in central London.
Before choosing your vehicle, we recommend thinking about:
- How many passenger seats do you regularly need?
- Will most journeys be within London or further afield?
- Where will the minibus be parked?
- Will drivers regularly need to drive narrow streets and restricted parking?
- Could an electric minibus work with your daily mileage and charging facilities?
- Do you require wheelchair access?
- Who will be driving the minibus, and what licence and training do they have?
The friendly team at Rivervale Minibus can talk through all these considerations with you before recommending a vehicle.
Smaller minibuses make good sense in London
It can be tempting to automatically choose the largest minibus available, but if you rarely need 16 passenger seats, a smaller vehicle could be a much more practical option for London. If you do need more passenger capacity then one or two 9-seat minibuses might be a better option.
An 8 or 9-seat vehicle can be easier to manoeuvre through busy streets, fit into tighter parking spaces and feel more familiar to drivers accustomed to driving a car. They also don’t require D1 entitlement to drive, which is an advantage if you have a Section 19 Permit and younger drivers.
The Ford Tourneo Custom is one option for organisations wanting something smaller and car-like, Rivervale Minibus has a range of 9-seat vehicles available to lease or purchase outright.
Is an electric minibus a good choice for London?
An obvious consideration when purchasing or leasing a minibus that will be driven predominantly within the M25, in and around London is emissions. There is the potential to have to pay a Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge and a congestion charge.
The 100% exemption from electric vehicles (EVS) from the congestion charge has ended, but standard EVs can qualify for partial discounts.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates across all London boroughs, 24 hours a day, every day except for Christmas Day. Vehicles that do not meet the required emissions standards and are not exempt are subject to a daily charge. Electric Minibuses are Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) so meet the standards, where as diesel cars, vans, and minibuses up to 5 tonnes, need to be Euro 6 to meet the ULEZ standard.
A Euro 6 diesel minibus is still a perfectly viable choice for London organisations, but electric is becoming an increasingly desirable and practical option, not just to save on charges, but to increase environmental credentials and make significant savings on fuel and maintenance.
If you have predictable daily routes, and a minibus that will be returned to school or club/company premises each evening, so it can charge overnight, electric is a great option. We can help you compare battery range, passenger capacity, charging requirements, and your typical journeys before deciding whether diesel or electric is right for you.
Rivervale Minibus has a range of electric minibuses from 8 to 16 seats, and a recent change in legislation means the Ford eTransit 16-seat electric minibuses can be driven on a car licence, without D1 entitlement, under a Section 19 Permit (conditions apply).
London minibus driver training
Minibuses are not just big cars. There are different speed limits and rules, and larger vehicles require more skill and awareness than driving an average car.
In London, the difference can become even more apparent with busy multi-lane junctions, cyclists and motorcyclists weaving through the traffic, pedestrians, narrow residential streets, restricted parking, and frequent stop/starts. All these elements place additional demands on a driver.
Drivers also need to remain constantly aware of the height, width, length, and weight of their minibus. Just because a driver is legally entitled to drive a vehicle, doesn’t necessarily mean they will immediately feel confident driving through central London, and even less so in a large 17-seat minibus.
The DVSA and Rivervale Minibus Rivervale recommend regular practical driving training and assessment for minibus drivers. Rivervale Minibus offers D1 driver training, MiDAS and MiDAS Accessible training and a Minibus Management Course to ensure all those involved in running and driving minibuses can access the training they need to run safe and compliant fleets.
