Taking seats off temporarely

CiniO

We have a 16 seater transit minibus. There is no space for luggage at all.
Thats generally fine, as we don't normally carry any passengers with luggage, or if we do it's small amout (up to 10 people) so we can put luggage on the remaining seats.

Unfortunately next week we need to carry 13 passengers with big bags.
What I thought of, was to remove the most rear pair of seats, which would make enough space for luggage...

My question is - would that be legal?
What in case of garda check-point, or even worse what in case of an accident?
Can insurance company refuse to pay out, in case they discover that number of seats in the bus was different to specified in registration documents?


I remember few years back when I needed to carry plenty of stuff in my own car, I unmounted temporarely a front seat, and was driving like that for a week.
But only now it came to my mind that it might be illegal.
What do you think?

andyseadog

sounds like you need a trailer

crosstownk

Ask your insurance company. Their answer is the one you're looking for - anything else is, at best, well informed speculation.

CiniO

andyseadog wrote: »

sounds like you need a trailer

Trailer would be very handy, but it's not really worth buying a nice closed box trailer just for one run.

CiniO

crosstownk wrote: »

Ask your insurance company. Their answer is the one you're looking for - anything else is, at best, well informed speculation.

And that's exactly what I'm trying to obtain by asking here - well informed speculation.

guil

CiniO wrote: »

And that's exactly what I'm trying to obtain by asking here - well informed speculation.

at the end of the day thats all its gonne be, speculation

CiniO

guil wrote: »

at the end of the day thats all its gonne be, speculation

OK. Forget about insurance question.
I'm really getting sick of this Irish Insurance companies almightyness.
Soon it will be revealed that I will need to ring them and ask for a permission if I can wash my car, or pump up the tyres, or fit new car cd-player.

Still other question remains.

Is this legal?
Are there any regulation, which would forbid me to drive a vehicle with missing seats.
Can garda fine me for it?

guil

what do ya mean insurance almightyness, thats one of the most retarded comments i've ever read here

i dont think you would have a problem unless you lad an accident at a later date and someone was injured in those seats or the seats moved and it could be proved they were removed

sentient_6

Id imagine that maybe there'd only be an issue if you had someone sitting where the seats used to be, be it at a guarda chechpoint or in the event of an accident.....like if all your passangers where in the remaining properly fixed seats surely that would be fine? Just purely speculating though, i havent a clue.

unkel

CiniO wrote: »

OK. Forget about insurance.........
Is this legal?

In this country the former is far more important than the latter

CiniO wrote: »

I'm really getting sick of this Irish Insurance companies almightyness.

Not nearly as sick as you'd get if you were in an accident and the insurance company will go after you financially (on a technicality) for every cent you have and every cent you'll ever earn.

faw1tytowers

Well im thinking if i can take the seats out of my scenic temporarily so as to fit extra luggage why cant you...

I presume it doesnt effect my insurance as it is one of the selling points the scenic has....

guil

faw1tytowers wrote: »

Well im thinking if i can take the seats out of my scenic temporarily so as to fit extra luggage why cant you...

I presume it doesnt effect my insurance as it is one of the selling points the scenic has....

thats a design feature, undoing bolts that are would never normally be removed isn't

Henry Ford III

faw1tytowers wrote: »

Well im thinking if i can take the seats out of my scenic temporarily so as to fit extra luggage why cant you...

I presume it doesnt effect my insurance as it is one of the selling points the scenic has....

Presume nothing.