All above accurate I think. You left out

.. must have a tachograph calibrated within the last two years (unless only used for stage carriage work under domestic hours regulations)

also

.. should have front tyres less than 10 years old (though this should be checked at the MOT)

If you want to find out if there is a COIF for your DMS you can write to

PSV Centre
91/92 The Strand
Swansea
SA1 2DH

with the registration number (and chassis number in case the registration number has changed).

Give them a phone number and they will phone you to let you know if they have a record of a COIF or not. If they have, in exchange for a £23.00 fee payable by card on the phone they will send you a valid copy. The copy will have an expiry date on it, but as Roy says, it is now valid forever and doesn't need to be renewed. Odd to think of the expression grandfather rights applied to a bus!

I think the fee for a COIF, including tilt test is £293. It is a lot but it includes an MOT certificate valid for a year. It is sometimes possible to get to talk to your regional certification officer who can be quite helpful.

If you have a Government test centre as close as Roy’s is you are lucky. Most of them have closed down!

My bus number (if any): RMs 238, 471 and 2213, GS17

Yes, you're right there Chris. If your bus has a valid COIF, you'll need to make sure if you present if for class 6 test that various other bits comply such as first aid kit, approved fire extinguisher, safety glass markings for buses post 1968, legal lettering such as emergency door markings.

As we've discussed before, standards for class 5 and class 6 tests are rather different, the other roy is probably more up to speed on this than I am.

It may be a case that if yours has the COIF, a lass 6 test is all you'll need (plus an operators licence) to grt back into revenue -earning service, but, the latest hurdle, you can't use a non-wheelchair accessible bus on regular bus services! That's another subject and probably out of scope of this thread.

If Steve cares to contact me with his registration number I'll phone the PSV office in Bristol and ask the question.

My bus number (if any): RML2532