"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 15:35:23
on Sat, 24 Nov 2012, Portsmouth Rider
remarked:

But it's not a local bus service. It's an emergency bustitution.

Which is exactly what at least three posters to this thread have been
telling you for the last few days.

Unless the bus stop has a prohibition on "Stopping", other than local
buses (there are some of those, but generally only in very congested city
centres) then anyone can stop to let a passenger out.

As a car driver, I don't need to register with the authorities weeks in
advance to stop there.

Your car is not operated for hire or reward.
You do not need a PCV licence to drive your car.
Your car cannot carry more than eight people
Your car is not operated under an O licence
Your car is not subject to an MOT test at one year old
Your car is unlikely to fail an MOT because of a missing fire extinguisher,
or a torn seat, or even just for "being dirty".
Your car is unlikely to have a bell or buzzer so passengers can signal you
to stop.
Your passengers are allowed to chat with you whilst you are driving.
You are not (usually) allowed to charge fares in your car.
You are not allowed to operate your car with as little as 1mm of tyre tread.

In other words, your car is Cat M1.

A bus can be Cat M2 or more likely Cat M3



a.. Category M1: Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of
passengers and comprising no more than eight seats in addition to the
driver's seat.
b.. Category M2: Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of
passengers, comprising more than eight seats in addition to the driver's
seat, and having a maximum mass not exceeding 5 tonnes.
c.. Category M3: Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of
passengers, comprising more than eight seats in addition to the driver's
seat, and having a maximum mass exceeding 5 tonnes.