7/8 seater for pub

pmurphy00

im debating buying a toyota previa as a shuttle bus for the bar.
it'll be doing maybe 150-200 miles on an average week
its a 2.4litre petrol 2001 so 1000 to tax it.
im guessing i'll not be getting much mpg with it.

i had been looking at 8 seater hiace like this

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3400778

im thinking it might be mad to buy a petrol car.
would a hiace be a better option?
dont know much about cars and in particular mpvs or buses.
90% of the time i'll be driving around on my own
but when clearing the bar the seats will all have bums on them
i could budget 3 maybe 4 the previa is 2,500
any input would be appreciated.

MuppetCheck

All I'll say is I wish you were my local publican:)

tuborg_man

My everyday car is an ex taxi 02 Fiat scudo with the same hdi engine as citroen c5 and are extremly cheap, 240k miles and a new nct and going strong.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3346594
This one has the older but robust 1.9 turbo diesel but is a very good price,

ps I've driven both the scudo and hiace in passanger form and the scudo was more car like which is a plus. plenty of ex taxi's around as not many people want them

Where To

I'd personally go for a 8/9 seater bus over a mpv. As it's going to be a 'working' vehicle it makes much more sense economically.

the_syco

Where To wrote: »

I'd personally go for a 8/9 seater bus over a mpv. As it's going to be a 'working' vehicle it makes much more sense economically.

Which would be cheaper for him? To have the vehicle as a "working" bus, or as a hackney that doesn't charge for his service?

Where To

the_syco wrote: »

Which would be cheaper for him? To have the vehicle as a "working" bus, or as a hackney that doesn't charge for his service?

There's very little difference in running cost between a mpv and 9 seater van. As he will be using it to take customers home it makes more sense to have a vehicle that will carry more customers.

Pdfile

Where To wrote: »

There's very little difference in running cost between a mpv and 9 seater van. As he will be using it to take customers home it makes more sense to have a vehicle that will carry more customers.

he can also keep them their for longer and make more money providing they have a means of getting home :pac:

OP have you concidered using veggie oil or similar to keep fuel costs down ( well thats more of a geographical issue; where other cheap fuels are available ) and which ones do run decent on it...

imo Scudo or similar would be fine... but alot of them are absolute dogs mechanically speaking... not one ive ever been in that didn't rattle hum and squeel all the way... not that it would matter for you but still I hate obscure noises and such.

Terrontress

tuborg_man wrote: »

My everyday car is an ex taxi 02 Fiat scudo with the same hdi engine as citroen c5 and are extremly cheap, 240k miles and a new nct and going strong.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3346594
This one has the older but robust 1.9 turbo diesel but is a very good price,

ps I've driven both the scudo and hiace in passanger form and the scudo was more car like which is a plus. plenty of ex taxi's around as not many people want them

Sorry for going slightly o\t but a lot of Scudo taxis in Dublin used to have the reg plate recess on the back filled in and the plate moved to the back bumper.

Often they didn't even bother to paint it.

Do you know why this is? Satisfy my curiosity!

colm_mcm

Terrontress wrote: »

Sorry for going slightly o\t but a lot of Scudo taxis in Dublin used to have the reg plate recess on the back filled in and the plate moved to the back bumper.

Often they didn't even bother to paint it.

Do you know why this is? Satisfy my curiosity!

It's to do with advertising, they often had full advertising wraps that covered both doors, moving the reg plate down allowed for this,

pmurphy00

Pdfile wrote: »

he can also keep them their for longer and make more money providing they have a means of getting home
OP have you concidered using veggie oil.

havn't thought about veggie oil tbh,i live under a mountain in a small village in west kerry. so non-runner id say.
and yea keeping them in till closing time and bringing 16 home in 2 quick runs would be ideal, +i could park the bus in dingle with advertising on it..

im leaning towards a hiace i've made a few calls today might even drive to dublin tomorrow.

Capri

Save yourself the extra work - get a reliable local hackney or taxi and work out something with him. Winners all round ?

dgt

Many's a pub around here use these as shuttle busses



Er in rhd and non turbo form

Anyone else remember a publican in the news dropping people home in a Volvo S60??!! :eek:

matrim

Just something to think about but would you have to register it as a Hackney and would that change the tax / insurance (or even what type of car you can get)?

mgbgt1978

Only if you are charging people for the service. If it is a free service then the OP will simply tax and insure it as a private car.

Markcheese

Is there something about low tax for 8/9 seaters For a club , could be sports club .... Could be me making it up....

ted1

If you get a diesel could you claim the VAT back?

pmurphy00

ted1 wrote: »

If you get a diesel could you claim the VAT back?

i've no idea on the vat situation..i was keen on the hiace 00 my uncl reckons anywhere near 2,500 is far too much, i've no clue really tbh i thought twas an alright price.

there's no taxi here its very rural, the local hackney wouldnt be interested in it tbh id be doing it as a courtesy service maybe have a donation box of the odd person threw 2euro in that id be happy out.

i dont drink when im working so it makes sense nobody lives more than 5/6miles away anyway

if it boosted the crowd on a fri and saturday. i have to buy a vehicle of some description so i recon an 8 seater and if it proves to be a waste of time i can buy a car in the autumn.

nobody can say i didnt try!

bazz26

If you are VAT registered and your using it for business purposes then you can claim the VAT back on diesel fuel, not petrol though. Talk to your accountant on what are the best financial options to this venture.

I think you biggest problem is going to be insurance. Ferrying people around in it means it is probably defined as a Public Service Vehicle regarding insurance. You should speak with a few insurance companies and see what sort of premiums they are charging. It may be pretty expensive.

Markcheese

Fair dues for giving it a go ..... Reckon as long as long as yr not doing it for"hire or reward" ( not charging) then shouldn't be any insurance psv license issues.... Do reckon u should have a (local) charity box for people to chuck into ( people value it more if they contribute to it )
Or look at helping a local to set up a as a hackney bus, school routes, community groups, sports clubs... Elderly groups... Could help put life in a local village and yr pub( more than Friday and sat nights) . Knew someone who did this in NZ as a franchise type of thing , he was never going to get rich but reckoned he'd given about 18 people a start... And made a few bob..

bazz26

Markcheese wrote: »

Fair dues for giving it a go ..... Reckon as long as long as yr not doing it for"hire or reward" ( not charging) then shouldn't be any insurance psv license issues.... Do reckon u should have a (local) charity box for people to chuck into ( people value it more if they contribute to it )
Or look at helping a local to set up a as a hackney bus, school routes, community groups, sports clubs... Elderly groups... Could help put life in a local village and yr pub( more than Friday and sat nights) . Knew someone who did this in NZ as a franchise type of thing , he was never going to get rich but reckoned he'd given about 18 people a start... And made a few bob..

While he may not be charging, it is still a service he will be providing as part of his business so imo he will need the correct insurance. What if he has an accident on a run and one or more of his passengers claims for injuries against his insurance? It opens up a can of worms. This is why insurance companies have full disclosure clauses in their policies.

pmurphy00

insurance is proving to be a right pain in the ass
for an vw caravelle anyway,
havn't bought anything yet might go with an mpv instead of a bus
haven't even got a quote ye and i've been ringing around.

hyundai trajet?

veetwin

I know a buddy of mine bought a minibus for his pub but had to sell it again because he could not get insurance. MPV might be the best bet.

Chuck Stone

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/coaches/3491936

bazz26

Chuck Stone wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/coaches/3491936

Are you selling it?

wexford12

Chuck Stone wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/coaches/3491936

They are very hard to get in and out of the back seats most taxi drivers have got rid of them as drunk people keep falling in and out of them.
Buy a diesel claim the VAT back on diesel and other costs. I would look at a Transit 9 seater or VW shuttle both with hard no carpet floors easier for cleaning

Chuck Stone

bazz26 wrote: »

Are you selling it?

No. If I was selling it I'd say I was selling it.

pmurphy00

the ford is too expensive.
i need a 7 seater it appears.
the search continues,
the trajet comes in diesel..im quite keen on it