Minibus Insurance NI
Compare Minibus Insurance NI
- Insurance for Minibuses with 9 to 17 seats
- Get quotes from over 30 providers of NI insurance
- Tailored cover for private hire & public hire drivers
Cheap 9 to 17 Seater Minibus Insurance
The minibus has risen in popularity as people see the advantages in having a form of transport that is not restricted to 5 or 7 passengers. For a vehicle to be classed as a minibus, it must have a minimum of 9 seats, 8 seaters for passengers and one seater for the driver. The number of seats can then range upwards to a maximum of 17 seats (16 passengers and 1 driver seat). Above this, you are moving into the non minibus category. This category above 17 seats is often referred to as a coach or a bus. The number of well known brands that now produce minibuses include the following:
| Minibus Manufacturer | Seating Specification | Extra Features Worth Note |
|---|---|---|
| FORD ETRANSIT | Seats 15 | E-Transit is Fords first all-electric van |
| PEUGEOT BOXER | Seats 9 – 17 | 17 seater minibus and, with removable seats |
| MAXUS V80 | Seats 9 – 13 | AXUS V80 is available as either a diesel or electric minibus conversion |
| MERCEDES SPRINTER | Seats 9 – 17 | The Mercedes Sprinter can be easily converted into a 17 seater minibus, able to carry up to 4 wheelchair passengers. |
| VW CRAFTER | Seats 8 – 17 | This minibus base vehicle converts into a 17 seater minibus, with room for 6 wheelchair passengers |
| MAXUS EDELIVER 9 | Seats 9 – 14 | electric minibus |
| RENAULT MASTER | Seats 9 – 17 | room for up to 4 wheelchairs |
Who provides 17 Seater Minibus Insurance?
Most of the big insurance brands will provide insurance for 9 seaters and 17 seater minibuses. Some of the more specialist insurance providers of minibus insurance include Brightside, Direct Line, QBE, Admiral and Towergate.
As with all insurance policies, limits and exclusions will apply, so do check these to understand these or to negotiate different limits in advance if taking out your home insurance policy.
Who needs Minibus Insurance?
Smaller minibuses, typically the 9 seater minibus, are popular with larger families who like a little comfort on long journeys. However, most minibuses are employed in the hire and reward industry to provide a paid for service to transport passengers from A to B. We have listed a few more typical examples uses of a minibus below.
- Charity and The Voluntary Organisations.
- Care Homes
- Churches
- Schools and Educational institutes
- Airport Services & Transfers
- Sports Clubs
Is it expensive to Insure a Minibus?
Minibus insurance in general will be more expensive than standard car insurance. The key reason is that a minibus is a form of transport for groups of passengers or large families. Having extra seats makes the risk to the insurance company higher, the more passengers, the more likelihood of more claims. If you are shopping for a new family or business minibus, you will have a choice of between 9 and 17 seats. Take into account the 17 seater will be more expensive to both buy and then to keep insured than for example a 12 seater. As such, if you will only ever have a max of 11 passengers, buying a 13 seater will just end up costing you more.
What size of ninibus should I buy?
If you are shopping for a new family or business minibus, you will have a choice of between 9 and 17 seats. Take into account the 17 seater will be more expensive to both buy and then to keep insured than for example a 12 seater. As such, if you will only ever have a max of 11 passengers, buying a 13 or larger minibus will just end up costing you more. For many, it may not be that simple as having a few extra seats will give you additional flexibility, particularly if it is used for business purpsoes.
How can I reduce the cost of 17 seater minibus insurance?
The cost of 17 seater minibus insurance is tied to the perceived risk to the insurance broker. Some of the more important factors that will contribute significantly to the final premium include the actual cost of the minibus. For example, an expensive luxury 17 seater minibus will attract a higher premium than a small budget 9 seater minibus. Another important contributing factor is details on the actual driver. If a driver has a good history of driving without making copious claims, that will be viewed as lower risk than a driver that has a history of being involved in accidents and making insurance claims.
Below, we have outlined some specific steps that if followed in with guidance by your brokers should lead to cheaper minibus insurance. If you are on atight budget and looking for cheap minibus insurance, look for a minus that is in one of the lower insurance groupings.
| Action | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Increase the Voluntary Excess | The Voluntary Excess is the amount that you would be held liable for in the event of a claim that was made against you. Most brokers will reduce the insurance quote if you agree to accepting a higher excess amount. Before going down this route, make sure that you would be happy to pay out the agreed amount should the need arise. |
| Off Road Parking | Are you able to provide safer off road parking during nighttime, as this will often lead to a lower quote from most minibus insurance brokers. |
| Compare at Renewal Time | Gone are the days of loyalty to the family go to insurance broker, spend some tome checking out just what is currently available on the marketplace before blindly renewing an existing policy. |
| Security Devices | Consider fitting an insurance approved immobiliser and a tracking device, please make sure they are approved to avail of any associated discounts |
| Named Drivers | An any driver policy will normally work out more expensive than a named driver policy, especially if you limit the number of named drivers |
| Tailored Minibus Insurance Policy | Some insurance providers offer to bundle different elements of cover into one policy. It is important not to be paying for cover that you do need. The panel can provide quotes tailored to your individual minibus insurance requirements, so you will not be paying for unnecessary cover |
Minibus For Social and Business Use
Insurance minibus is available for social, domestic and please or simply family use minibus insurance. The minibus is a workhouse, and it can be seen daily in many guises on the public roads, some of the most popular business and organisation uses include the following.
- School or University Minibus.
- Taxi Minibus.
- Group Tour Minibus.
- Sports or Sports Club Minibus.
- Care or Nursing Home Minibus.
- Family Minibus
The minibus cost calculation is based on a number of factors. These factors are used to arrive at a risk value. The perceived risk is then reflected in the cost of the minibus insurance policy. Some of these risk factors are detailed below. In addition to risk, the more cover or extent of cover will also affect the cost of minibus insurance.
How is Minibus Insurance calculated?
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Level and extent of cover | The more add-ons that you add, the more expensive the policy. Comprehensive policy will normally be the most expensive , but you are getting cover for both third party damages and injury, plus cover for your own minibus. If you are using your minibus for hire and reward, you will need to consider adding public liability to cover against claims from passengers or simply members of the public. |
| Usage | If you are using the minibus for social, domestic and please you will find cheaper minibus insurance than if you are using as minibus taxi. The use as a taxi will bring added risk that will increase the basic minibus insurance premium. |
| Driver | The driver age can make the difference between cheap minibus insurance and expensive. Drivers under 25 or drivers with serious unspent convictions will pay a higher premium in comparison to drivers over 25 with a reasonable driving history with zero or low number of insurance claims. |
| Family Minibus |
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