Hectors-dad:
the company is a large nationwide concern
I’m not trying to be rude but a company like this should surely be getting a driver with a full D licence to cover, or am I wrong?
Yep, read your reply from dvla,and your other reply.At least we are agreed the age limit is 21!
As for the rest,let’s try this.
Running a minibus under a normal O license for hire and reward driver must have passed D1 test whether they passed their test before jan1997 or after.Driver obviously paid Everyone happy!
Running a minibus under a permit scheme (as by some community buses,charities,schools etc.If driver passed car test before Jan 1997 and inherited D1 (107) can get paid.
If driver passed car test after Jan 1997 does not get D1 at all on license but can drive minibus only under permit scheme but must be voluntary.
As per dvla inf 28. Everyone happy?
When the UK driving license was harmonised with good old Europe they should have been standardised .In Europe there was no such thing as D1 (107) and should not have been in UK,however,they let us keep the driving under a permit scheme.If you do not have a full D1 license don’t try driving a minibus in mainland Europe. Everyone happy?
Oh,running out of room,don’t know how to make the page longer,will go back to hire and reward on next post.
Part two!
What type of company would run a minibus not for “hire and reward” and pay the driver?They would run at a loss.
Let’s take a hypothetical scenario.
A gangmaster uses a minibus to transport workers to a field or factory.Does not charge workers for travelling on minibus so how could he run his business and make a profit ?It would have to be incorporated into his charge to his customer somewhere therefore there is a reward.Therefore driver should have full D1and gangmaster should have O license.
It could be argued? that if a driver is paid money or in kind to carry passengers on a minibus that somewhere along the line there is some form of "hire and reward " somewhere.
Not happy with this are we?
Same thing could be said for a council providing a free community service with a 17 seater minibus.
The people they are transporting would likely pay council tax and so, in a very tiny way, are paying for it 
I would say that the ‘hire or reward’ is targetted at those who are specifically making money DIRECTLY from the use of the minibus - like a taxi or a normal bus service.
I always thought that hire/reward referred to the PASSENGERS paying to be carried. Either paying the driver directly or through the service being provided in with the price of a flight or hotel room. Also in reference to the hotel courtesy buses using 8 seaters, they should be licenced as Private Hire Vehicles with the appropriate local authority and the driver holding an appropriate Private Hire Licence.
tofer:
I always thought that hire/reward referred to the PASSENGERS paying to be carried. Either paying the driver directly or through the service being provided in with the price of a flight or hotel room.
Correct - see the letter posted earlier by the DfT