Register as a minibus driver

Anyone who drives a council minibus, or who drives any minibus on council business, needs to hold a council minibus driver permit:

Conditions

To drive a council minibus you must hold a valid driving licence. We will not be able to accept any applications from anyone who has 9 or more points on their licence.

We will also not be able to accept any applications from anyone who has any medical conditions which affect their ability to drive. If you are not sure if a medical condition you have will affect your ability to drive please check the governments Standards of Fitness to Drive for more information.

If you develop a medical condition that affects your ability to drive while you hold a permit you must notify us of this condition, and if necessary, you will also have to return the permit to us.

How to apply

If you wish to gain a permit you must first pass CTA Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS).

If you possess a PCV licence you may apply to drive non-accessible buses without a MiDAS certificate.

There are different MiDAS courses for wheelchair-accessible and non-accessible vehicles. If you complete the non-accessible course you will not be permitted to drive an accessible vehicle. If you complete the accessible course you may drive both types of vehicle as required.

The cost of the course is approximately £85 per person for an accessible vehicle course. This is payable by the organisation you are driving on behalf of, direct to the training establishment. Your chosen training provider will provide you with their current prices and group discount availability.

To book a training course you should contact a MiDAS training centre.

If you wish to use an Aberdeenshire Council minibus for training, please contact us.

After you have passed the MiDAS training course you will have to complete an Approved Drivers Registration Form (PDF 29KB). Once this form has been completed it should be sent alongside a copy of your pass certificate and your driving licence, both parts if it is a two-part licence to:

PTU Ops Team
Passenger Transport Unit
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB

What happens next

You will be contacted by the PTU Ops team to produce a code, so a licence check can be carried out. View instructions on how to share your driving licence (PDF 565KB).

Once we have processed your registration form we will send you a council permit.

You should not under any circumstances drive a council minibus or any minibus insured by the council before receiving your permit or letter of authorisation from the PTU Ops Team.

Once you have received your certificate, refresher training must be carried out every 4 years. Your council permit will also expire at this time.

Contact Us

If you would like more information, or need help with your application you can contact us by emailing public.transport@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or calling 01467 533335.