Minibus

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Toyota Coaster LPG green public minibus in Hong Kong WP9187 New Territories 806A 03-03-2020.jpg
Toyota Coaster LPG green public minibus in Hong Kong
Citroen Jumper minibus in France Jumper Distribus (cropped).jpg
Citroën Jumper minibus in France
Cacciamali Urby (built on Iveco Daily chassis) operating in Zagreb, Croatia Minibus ZET Zagreb.jpg
Cacciamali Urby (built on Iveco Daily chassis) operating in Zagreb, Croatia
Minibus vehicle from Suzuki Carry used as public transportation in Indonesia New Suzuki Carry angkot karoseri Panca Tunggal.jpg
Minibus vehicle from Suzuki Carry used as public transportation in Indonesia

A minibus, microbus, or minicoach is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger-carrying van or panel truck. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 12 and 30. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses. Minibuses are typically front engine step-in vehicles, although low floor minibuses are particularly common in Japan.

Contents

History

It is unknown when the first minibus vehicle was developed. For example, Ford Model T vehicles were modified for passenger transport by early bus companies and entrepreneurs. [1] Ford produced a version during the 1920s to carry up to 12 people. [2] [3] [4] In the Soviet Union, the production of minibuses began in the mid-1950s, among the first mass-produced minibuses were the RAF-10, UAZ-451B, and Start. [5] Since September 1961, the RAF-977D "Latvia" minibus began to be mass-produced. [6]

Regional variants

There are many different form of public transportation services around the world that are provided by using vehicles that can be considered as minibus:

Driving licence

Some countries may require an additional class of driving licence over a normal private car licence, and some may require a full commercial driving licence. The need for such a licence may depend on:

In the UK the following information regarding Minibus driving licences is important: "The holder of an ordinary car driving licence which was obtained prior to January 1997, once aged 21 years minimum, may drive a Minibus with a capacity of 16 passengers. Where the "ordinary car driving licence" is obtained after December 1996, they will have to take a separate test to drive a vehicle with a capacity of more than 8 passengers. However, there is an exemption for certain volunteer drivers, where the vehicle does not exceed 3500 kg GVW (or 4250 kg GVW if the vehicle is designed to be wheelchair accessible). Driving licence source

A driving licence issued in Ontario, Canada, for an equivalent of a UK class B or class B-auto driving licence (in the case of Ontario, a class G licence), allows its holder to drive vehicles with:

Anyone wanting to drive a vehicle in Ontario, with the same MAM limits as for class G vehicles, with fewer than 25, but at least 10, passenger seats, must obtain a bus licence. This licence will allow, for example, its holder to drive [8] 12- and 15-passenger vans] that Transport Canada defines as large passenger vans.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Minivan is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV or M-segment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van</span> Covered transportation vehicle

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A share taxi, shared taxi, taxibus, or jitney or dollar van in the US, or marshrutka in former Soviet countries, is a mode of transport which falls between a taxicab and a bus. Share taxis are a form of paratransit; they are vehicles for hire are typically smaller than buses and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, sometimes only departing when all seats are filled. They may stop anywhere to pick up or drop off their passengers. They are most common in developing countries or inner cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Type 2</span> Volkswagen panel van

The Volkswagen Type 2 is a forward control light commercial vehicle introduced in 1950 by the German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model. Known officially as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, or, informally, as the Volkswagen Station Wagon (US), Bus, Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), it was given the factory designation Type 2 as it followed – and was initially derived from – Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 (Beetle).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford E-Series</span> Line of vans by American automaker

The Ford E-Series is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four generations of the model line have been produced. Marketed for both cargo and passenger transport configurations, the E-Series has been designed with multiple design variations for both retail and commercial sale, including vans, and commercial-grade cutaway van chassis and stripped chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeepney</span> Means of public transportation in the Philippines

A jeepney, or simply a jeep, is a type of public utility vehicle (PUV) that serves as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. It is known for its crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become a widespread symbol of Philippine culture and art. At the 1964 New York World's Fair, a Sarao jeepney was exhibited in the Philippine pavilion as a national symbol for Filipinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pesero</span> Form of public transport

A pesero, combi, micro or microbús is a form of public transport, most commonly seen in Mexico City. Its name derives from the fact that in the beginning of this form of transport a flat fee of one peso was charged per ride.

The Wayne Busette is a minibus that was assembled by Wayne Corporation from 1973 to 1990. During its production, many examples of the Busette were produced as school buses. One of the first examples produced with a cutaway van chassis, the Busette mated a purpose-built school bus body with a dual rear-wheel van chassis. In North America, this configuration is now preferred by manufacturers for many other types of minibuses in addition to school buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutaway van chassis</span>

Cutaway van chassis are used by second stage manufacturers for a wide range of completed motor vehicles. Especially popular in the United States, they are usually based upon incomplete vans made by manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors which are generally equipped with heavier duty components than most of their complete products. To these incomplete vehicles, a second stage manufacturer adds specific equipment and completes the vehicle. Common applications of this type of vehicle design and manufacturing includes small trucks, school buses, recreational vehicles, minibuses, and ambulances. The term "cutaway" can be somewhat of a misnomer in most of the vehicle's context since it refers to truck bodies for heavy-duty commercial-grade applications sharing a common truck chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LDV Pilot</span> Motor vehicle

The LDV Pilot was the last of a series of a panel vans that was produced by from 1974 until 2005, originally as the 1974 Leyland Sherpa developed by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland, which was in turn derived from earlier light commercials produced by the British Motor Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conversion van</span> Vehicle for road trips and camping

A conversion van is a full-sized cargo van that is sent to third-party companies to be outfitted with various luxuries for road trips and camping. It can also mean a full-size passenger van in which the rear seating have been rearranged for taxis, school buses, shuttle buses, and limo purposes in place of a family van. Other conversions include bespoke fitting services to be undertaken to make the load area of light commercial vehicles suitable for industrial work. This includes various things such as racking systems for the storage of tools and goods so they can be kept safe and utilise the full storage capability of the vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iveco Daily</span> Commercial truck produced by Iveco

The Iveco Daily is a large light commercial van produced by the Italian automaker Iveco since 1978; it was also sold as the Fiat Daily by Fiat until 1983. Unlike the more car-like unibody Fiat Ducato, the Daily uses a separate ladder frame typical of heavier commercial vehicles. The Iveco Daily is produced at the Iveco Suzzara plant, near Mantova in Italy, where Iveco has recently made substantial investments to renew the production lines.

AMZ Kutno is an automotive company based in Kutno, Poland, that has been operating since 1999. It specializes in the design and manufacture of special bodies for commercial vehicles, such as minibuses, ambulances, security vans and special vehicles for the uniformed services. The company also produces a line of city buses and various military vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UAZ-452</span> Russian transport van

The UAZ-452 is a family of four wheel drive off-road vans and light trucks with body-on-frame construction and cab over engine design, built by the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ) since 1965. Originally designed for the Soviet military, since 1985 the vans received updates: more modern engines and internationally compliant lighting, as well as new model numbers, UAZ-3741 for the standard van, while (crew-cab) trucks mostly starting with UAZ-3303, often with one or two extra digits specifying the version. From 1997, bigger UAZ-33036 truck variants with a 25 cm (10 in) longer wheelbase, and taller soft-top roof bows and drop-sides were added.

Rocar was a van, light truck, bus and trolleybus manufacturer based in Bucharest, Romania. The firm also produced light offroad vehicles and later heavy road vehicles. During its existence, the company produced over 350,000 vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public light bus</span> Minibus used for public transport services in Hong Kong

The public light bus (PLB) or minibus is a public transport service in Hong Kong. It uses minibuses to provide quicker transport and to serve areas that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. The vehicles are colloquially known by the code-switch Van仔.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen ID. Buzz</span> Battery electric minivan

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a battery electric minivan produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen. Based on the dedicated battery electric MEB platform, it is the first production electric minivan from Volkswagen and part of the Volkswagen ID. series. A retro styled minivan, the design of the ID. Buzz is inspired by the Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Microbus.

Mellor Coachcraft, known simply as Mellor or Mellor Bus, is a British bus manufacturer based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Founded in the 1960s, Mellor has primarily produced bodywork for various different minibus chassis throughout its history. Mellor is owned by parent company, Woodall Nicholson Group, alongside Treka Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOBIpeople</span> Portuguese manufacturer of buses and coaches

MOBIpeople is a bus and coach manufacturer based in Coimbra, Portugal. The company was founded in 2008 and primarily produces minibuses, midibuses and their coach equivalents. MOBIpeople is the second largest Portuguese bus manufacturer after Caetano.

References

  1. Negyesi, Pal (4 May 2020). "The Role of the Ford Model T As a Bus in Central and Eastern Europe". CEAutoClassic. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  2. "Henry the Model T Bus". highfieldspioneervillage.com.au. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. "1926 Ford Model TT 10 Seater Country Bus Chassis no. 14390021 Engine no. 14390021". bonhams.com. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  4. "Car Ford Model T Station Bus 1919 for sale". PreWarCar. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  5. Dashko, Dmitry (2013). Юность. Автобус для избранных[Youth. A bus for the elite] (in Russian). ООО "ИПК Парето-Принт". pp. 19–21.
  6. "Хроника: любимый «рафик»". zr.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  7. http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/recreational-vehicles/frequently-asked-questions.shtml [ bare URL ]
  8. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp2436-rs200808-menu-202.htm [ bare URL ]