Q My education committee operates a fleet of school buses to
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carry children to and from school. During the school holidays, the vehicles are used to transport school furniture between schools.
The vehicles have an unladen weight of tons and the bodies are provided with upholstered fixed benches as seats, running melt side of the vehicle.
In view of the use made of these vehicles Wring the school holidays, should these Aides be licensed as goods vehicles?
A Section 60 of the Transport Act 1968,
briefly states that an operator's licence is required to use a goods vehicle on a road for hire and reward or for or in connection with any trade or business. The vehicles you quote are not being used for either purpose and therefore no operator's licence is required.
If you arc referring to road fund licences, Schedule 4 of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971 defines a goods vehicle as a mechanically propelled vehicle constructed or adapted for use and used for the conveyance of goods or burden of any description whether in the course of trade or not.
In their original form, the vehicles you describe are not constructed or adapted to carry goods or burden of any description. Passengers cannot be described as goods or burden.
Should the seats be removed during the conveyance of furniture and equipment, however, this would undoubtedly amount to "adaption" to carry goods or burden. In that case, a goods vehicle rate of duty would be appropriate.