The Outdoor Education Unit has 2 (17 seats including the driver) minibuses which can be hired when not in use by the unit. Bookings can be accepted from 4 weeks prior to the date of use.
One minibus is based at the Outdoor Education Resource Centre in Muir of Ord, the other minibus is based at Badaguish where Highland Council has four spacious lodges for rent.
All drivers of HC minibuses first and foremost need to have Category D1 or D1+E (if they wish to tow a trailer with a Maximum Authorised Mass greater than 750KG) on their drivers licence.
Secondly all drivers must hold either of the following;
1) A Highland Council minibus drivers card, which is obtained by sitting a minibus driving assessment, or the equivalent from other Local Authorities.
2) A MIDAS certificate.
3) or have passed a PCV test.
If you do have one of the above, you still have to apply for a minibus drivers card by completing the application form.
Application form for a Minibus Drivers Card
If you have your Highland Council minibus drivers card and you have Category D1 on your license, please complete the Minibus Booking Form.
Minibus booking form
The following information sources from the Employee Development web page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do you have you have to be to sit the assessment?
If you are a Highland Council Employee or work for a Voluntary Organisation you must be 21 years or over and held a licence for 2 years.
How long is the assessment and what does it cost?
The assessment itself is 1 hour 15 minutes, this includes a 10 question multiple choice questionnaire on the Highway Code. We can also offer an hour long lesson before the assessment.
The lesson costs £25 per hour. The assessment costs £45.
Do we need to provide a minibus for the assessment?
If requested when booking an assessment, we can usually arrange a minibus. If test passed after 1997 you can only drive a 3.5 tonne vehicle. You can drive up to 4.25 tonnes - Special Disabled Permit.
What happens if I have to cancel a minibus assessment?
If you cancel more than 5 working days before the assessment there is no charge.
If you cancel less than 5 working days before the assessment there is a half charge.
If you cancel the day before the assessment there will be a full charge.
I have a Category D1 or D Licence entitlement, Midas Certificate, or another local authority equivalent assessment do I have to sit the Highland Council Minibus Assessment?
If you have any of the above you can drive the Council's minibuses without sitting the assessment, provided that you have filled out an application form and we have a copy of your licence, and other local authority certificate. Your Midas certificate must be in date.
I passed the assessment before 1994 and don't have a licence card, do I need to have a card?
If your name appears on the Highland Council database and it can be proven that you have been a regular driver since 1994 then you can be issued with a new card without sitting the assessment.
If your name doesn't appear on the database then you have to sit the assessment.
If you would like a card please contact Employee Development, there is a £7.50 administration fee for each card.
After passing the minibus assessment, is there a waiting period before I can drive the bus?
As soon as the assessor tells you that you have passed, you are insured to drive a Highland Council minibus. Your photocard should be delivered to you within 2 weeks of passing the assessment.
What do I do if I lose my photocard?
If you lose your card let us know and we can arrange for another one to be sent to you. We will need to receive a passport-sized photograph and the £7.50 administration fee before we can issue the new card.
New Rules
Any licence that has been issued after 1st January 1997 will no longer have the minibus entitlement (D1). If you have D1(101) entitlement you can drive a minibus weighing more than 3.5 tonne.
You can still drive a minibus on a voluntary basis on condition that the vehicle has a section 19 permit and is not being operated for hire or reward. The service must not be providing to members of the general public and the charges made must be of a non-profit basis.
In addition you are restricted to a vehicle of up to 16 passengers and a weight not exceeding 3.5 tonne. You may not tow trailers.
Application form for a Minibus Drivers Card
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