A Minibus for Your Group's Day Out
For most small groups, this is the size to start with. A minibus typically seats 16 to 19, enough for a family reunion, a curling club or a wedding party, and small enough to pull up where a big coach can't.
Where a minibus earns its keep
A winery lane in Niagara, a trailhead lot, the front door of a boutique hotel: a minibus reaches places a 45 ft coach would struggle with. It suits day trips, airport runs for relatives arriving on one flight, and teams heading to an away game.
Typical models
The photos show typical models in this size. Which vehicle runs depends on the licensed operator that takes the booking.
Minibus (16 to 19 seats)
Mercedes Sprinter
19 passengers · 15 bags
Ford Transit
16 passengers · 12 bags
Mercedes Sprinter
17 passengers · 14 bags
The licence a minibus driver holds
Up to 24 passengers, the driver needs a mid-level licence: class F in Ontario, class 4 in Alberta, class 4B in Québec, or BC's unrestricted class 4, which covers up to 25 people counting the driver. Beyond 24, a full bus licence applies. A group too big for one minibus is usually quoted a midi coach or two smaller vehicles.
Ontario treats any vehicle built for 10 or more passengers as a bus, which means the operator must hold a CVOR certificate. If the trip is for an Ontario school board, under contract, the minibus counts as a school-purposes bus and the driver needs class E.
On board
- Carrying children under contract with an Ontario school board makes it a school-purposes bus: class E licence
- Federal hours of service cover buses with more than 10 seats, including the driver, on trips that cross provincial borders
- In Ontario, any vehicle designed for 10 or more passengers is a bus, and the operator needs a CVOR certificate
- Up to 24 passengers: Ontario class F, Alberta class 4, Québec class 4B; BC class 4 (unrestricted) covers up to 25 people including the driver
Bags, skis and hockey kit
The thing to watch is luggage. With every seat taken, the space at the back is limited, so a full group with suitcases, skis or hockey bags may need a larger vehicle, or a minibus with a few seats left empty.
On a long day that crosses into another province, federal hours of service cover any bus with more than 10 seats, driver included, and the plan is built around them.
Your questions
Exactly how many people fit?
Typically 16 to 19, depending on the layout. The quote names the vehicle type and seat count for your trip.
Can the minibus stay with us all day?
Yes. Book it for the hours you need and the driver waits between stops.
Do passengers need seat belts?
In Ontario, yes, wherever a belt is available, since a minibus counts as a bus there. Elsewhere it is simply a good idea.