If you lease a minibus and your lease term is longer than 36 months, then you will need to get the minibus MOT inspected. Just like a car, all the usual aspects of the vehicle will be inspected, like tyres, wipers, light bulbs, emissions and body work. MOT prices have been reviewed, this year minibus MOT prices are set to increase most but no one seems to know why. With a similar van costing £58 and a minibus costing over £80 for an MOT there seems little to explain the differential, its seems even stranger when you consider that a motor home is cheaper still than a van
What takes the time and therefore the charge, is that a minibus has many more seat belts and seats, all of which have to be checked for fixing and operation. Additionally a minibus has step lights, multiple internal lights, all of which must be checked for operation. The equipment for testing a minibus is different from a car, the break testing is that of a heavier vehicle. There are also areas that would not be reported on a van but on a minibus may represent a risk to the public, for example bodywork issues and rust. In car terms, a car can be rusty but must only be solid.
A school minibus falls under these same rules also.
From a point of view of an MOT testing station, the responsibility placed upon them is more significant than when testing a car as well as the time required to carry out the test being longer.