I passed my bus licence in 1991 and worked for Lothian Council buses for over a year, I have not driven a bus, as a regular job since mid 1993, do I still have the entitlement? ie, can I ask DVLA if they can reinstate it on my licence or not?
Sapper
Yes you dont have to prove driving time anymore to keep your PCV entitlement.
Yes, you’ll need to have a medical if you are over 45 before you can renew your licence but your entitlement never expires.
Have you ever passed a LGV/HGV test ?
As your signature says CPC till 2019 then your PSV is lubed up and ready for action. Why would you ever want to use it again? I’m trying to block bus driving from my mind. What a horrid job it was.
A job on the buses can mean home every night and no meetings with former S.A.S. “soldiers”.I have been on the buses for 18 years now.I get some truck work in school holidays.
Thanks for all replies, I have a mate with a coach who does Europe and asked me if I’d like a trip with him.
So what is the correct designation on the licence for a bus entitlement for hire and reward?
Sapper
sapper:
Thanks for all replies, I have a mate with a coach who does Europe and asked me if I’d like a trip with him.
So what is the correct designation on the licence for a bus entitlement for hire and reward?Sapper
If you’ve got the full D entitlement then you can drive hire/reward. The only time I’ve seen exemptions for hire/reward is with minibuses and that’s shown with a code number next to the vehicle category.
Thanks m1cks, just checked and I have D on my brief.
Sapper
Honestly Sapper, please dont take this the wrong way but only bother with cat D if its seriously worth it.
I can post you a picture if you like of my face - and you will think twice about bus driving. As mentioned in a previous thread, and the-snowman on here will back me up on this - the abuse you will face day to day will be severe.
Basically, in 2005 I was doing my NVQ with a bus load of people on a single deck Scania. The route - 97. Chelmsley Wood to Birmingham city center.
As I said it was my NVQ assessment so I had an instructor with me. Due to this I had to do everything by the book. This includes “protecting the companies revenue”.
Two Somalians got on half way up the mackadown (if anyones familiar with it). They paid for a childs daysaver ticket (£2) when they were obviously well into their thirtys. They should have paid nearly £4 for the correct ticket. Now I am no jobsworth, normally I wouldnt care less, but as I was going for my NVQ I questioned them on their age, as if i hadnt I would have failed.
To cut a long story short, they prised open the safety cage, pulled me out and beat me to within an inch of my life. Once finished, one ran a stanley knife from the bridge to the bottom of my nose, opening it completely. Once they ran off, my instructor was still just standing there gobsmacked, members of the public got off the bus cursing at me for delaying their journey - and the best part - the office actually told me to get cleaned up and come back to continue service!
I had to have skin grafts to put my nose back together and now live with a huge scar! Continue service!
Please my good man, do not become a bus driver. It is now 11 years later and things have only gotten worse - an ASBO is a trophy. Sorry to bore everyone and thanks for reading my story.
tomk86:
Honestly Sapper, please dont take this the wrong way but only bother with cat D if its seriously worth it.
A very shocking story did they catch the vermin ?
I can post you a picture if you like of my face - and you will think twice about bus driving. As mentioned in a previous thread, and the-snowman on here will back me up on this - the abuse you will face day to day will be severe.Basically, in 2005 I was doing my NVQ with a bus load of people on a single deck Scania. The route - 97. Chelmsley Wood to Birmingham city center.
As I said it was my NVQ assessment so I had an instructor with me. Due to this I had to do everything by the book. This includes “protecting the companies revenue”.
Two Somalians got on half way up the mackadown (if anyones familiar with it). They paid for a childs daysaver ticket (£2) when they were obviously well into their thirtys. They should have paid nearly £4 for the correct ticket. Now I am no jobsworth, normally I wouldnt care less, but as I was going for my NVQ I questioned them on their age, as if i hadnt I would have failed.
To cut a long story short, they prised open the safety cage, pulled me out and beat me to within an inch of my life. Once finished, one ran a stanley knife from the bridge to the bottom of my nose, opening it completely. Once they ran off, my instructor was still just standing there gobsmacked, members of the public got off the bus cursing at me for delaying their journey - and the best part - the office actually told me to get cleaned up and come back to continue service!
I had to have skin grafts to put my nose back together and now live with a huge scar! Continue service!
Please my good man, do not become a bus driver. It is now 11 years later and things have only gotten worse - an ASBO is a trophy. Sorry to bore everyone and thanks for reading my story.
A very shocking story did they catch the vermin ?
They didn’t really want to know they took a statement and that was it 
there was nothing i heard about this on news or in papers its usually on as this was bad. but what do you expect from scummy wood area its the pits, but its diff areas especially big city are bad, not all areas the same.
Tomk86, what a shocking tale, that was totally unacceptable, that company and so called inspector, should be ashamed, I do know where you are coming from, when I worked for Lothian Council on the buses, I was also harrassed to the point of no return by a lousy drunk one Sat night, who pulled a knife on me, I actually managed to get the knife off him, he was rather ■■■■■■■ and I knocked him out and called the police, to cut a long story short, I ended up being sacked for assaulting a member of the public.
I think most bus companies are determined to take this stance, why,? I do not know, they do not back up their staff.
I would not go back to that kind of bus driving ever again, it is a friend to does Europe in a coach, he loves it and asked me to do a run with him and share the driving, that’s all, it’s mostly students or elderly, and the craic is good and so are the tips.
Sapper
As with lorries there are good and bad jobs out there.I have been tootling around country lanes for the last 18 years.I some times take folks to a cinema or theatre and am invited in with them.A distillery tour usually means a small sample to take home. 
At the end of a shift I take myself home in the bus so there are no travelling to work expenses.I would not be interested in a position with Slavcoach or Worst bus or the other big operators.
I’ve done buses, coaches and trucks but currently with Worst Bus driving a coach on an airport run but shortly going back to normal buses around Oxford… 
I do like driving buses though 