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A minibus, microbus, or minicoach is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a minivan, but fewer people than a 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 . Minibuses are typically front-engine step-in vehicles, although low floor minibuses are particularly common in Japan.
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. Since September 1961, the RAF-977D "Latvia" minibus began to be mass-produced.
In the UK: 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).
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 will allow, for example, its holder to drive 12- and 15-passenger vans] that Transport Canada defines as large passenger vans.
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