Badger Hill Group has a minibus, a Transit 14-
It’s primarily for the use of the various sections at Badger Hill, but when it’s are not being used by us it’s are available to other local Scout and Guide groups and to other organisations such as clubs and schools in return for a donation. We supply the bus with a full tank of petrol and we ask you to return it full.
All seats are fitted with seatbelts, and the bus is fully insured including a recovery service. Our insurance requires that all drivers must have held a full licence for at least 2 years and be over 21 years old. If you’re going to tow a trailer you also need endorsement D1 on your licence which ceased to be an automatic category on licences in 1997. It’s unlikely that anyone who has taken their driving test since then will have D1 on their licence unless they’ve also taken the separate driving test for larger vehicles.
If you’re another Scout or Guide Group or any voluntary organisation intending to accept remuneration in any form for providing transport you’ll also need your own ”Section 19 Permit” to display on the bus. This is an operators permit allowing you to charge your members without having to comply with the full PSV/PCV licensing rules. Our permits only cover us for our own members.
Most Badger Hill leaders driving the buses have a MiDAS certificate and observe MiDAS recommended best practice in all aspects including rest periods and relief drivers. We strongly recommend that other drivers should have this training particularly if you’re carrying young people although we don’t make it a condition of borrowing the bus. We will want to see your licence, including the paper part if you have a photo ID licence, or the printout of your driving record from the DVLA website.
The bus is fitted with a tow-bar so a trailer can be towed as long as the side door is kept clear as a means of emergency exit, and the legal requirements on gross train weights and the tow-bar manufacturer’s recommendations on tow-bar down-
We do not allow any camp equipment such as heavy tents, cookers, tables, etc to be carried in the bus and only personal kit such as rucksacks and other soft items should be inside.
Gas cylinders should never be carried in the minibus with passengers aboard! It’s also illegal to carry them even when the bus is empty unless there is an “inflammable gas cylinders” sign on the bus or trailer to warn the emergency services in the event of an incident, and our bus doesn’t have such a sign.
To find out availability and any other details, email gsl@badgerhillscouts.org.uk