Insurance basics

Minibus insurance explained

What minibus insurance is, who uses it, the main types of cover, including passenger liability, and the basic legal requirement to insure vehicles on UK roads.

Minibus insurance is insurance for vehicles built to carry more passengers than a standard car. Minibuses are used for many purposes, such as transporting people for hire, school trips, sports clubs, charities and community groups.

How the minibus is used makes a big difference to the cover needed. A minibus used privately, one used by a voluntary group and one carrying paying passengers are all treated differently by insurers.

What minibus insurance usually covers

Minibus insurance policies generally include the following types of cover.

1. Road risks

This covers the minibus while it is driven on public roads. Depending on the level of cover, it may include accidental damage, theft and fire.

2. Public liability

This covers the minibus owner or operator if someone is accidentally injured, or third party property is damaged, in connection with the minibus.

3. Passenger liability

This covers the owner's liability to passengers who are injured or killed while travelling in the minibus.

4. Personal accident

This covers the driver, and in some policies passengers, if they are injured or killed in an accident.

Choosing the right cover

The level and type of cover depend on the policy you choose and your needs as an owner or operator. Things that usually matter include the number of seats, who will drive, whether passengers pay to travel and how often the minibus is used. It is worth looking carefully at what different policies offer, not just the price.

The legal side

Every vehicle used on a public road in the UK must have at least third party motor insurance under the Road Traffic Act 1988, and that includes minibuses. There are also rules about who can drive a minibus and whether a permit or operator's licence is needed, particularly if passengers pay. GOV.UK explains the rules for driving a minibus.

If your organisation runs several vehicles, our fleet insurance page explains how cover for a number of vehicles works.

Kompare doesn't currently offer quotes for insurance for individual minibuses.