What kind of driver's license is required for a yellow-plate bus?
2 Answers
Yellow-plate vehicles are divided into large trucks and large buses. Large trucks require a B2 or A2 driver's license, while large buses require an A1 driver's license. Here is the relevant information: 1. Classification of yellow-plate buses: There are three types of yellow-plate buses. The first type is minibuses with fewer than 19 seats, the second type is medium-sized buses with 19 to 32 seats, and the third type is city buses. The first type only requires a B1 license to drive, while the second and third types require an A1, A3, or A3 trainee certificate, a passenger transport qualification certificate, and a driving permit to operate. 2. Yellow-plate trucks: Yellow-plate trucks include those weighing over 2 tons, as well as double-axle trailers with front 4-wheel and rear 6-wheel configurations, and 4-axle tractor heads. These require a B2 or A2 driver's license, a truck operation certificate, and a driving permit to operate.
I've been driving yellow-plate coaches for long-distance passenger transport for ten years, so I know this inside out. Yellow-plate vehicles must either have over 9 seats or exceed 6 meters in length, which means a regular Class C license won't cut it. For interprovincial coaches like ours, you must hold a Class A1 license. If you're driving something like an 18-seater minibus, a Class B1 license would suffice. Here's the key point: There's a one-year probation period after obtaining a Class A license, during which you absolutely must not carry passengers—getting caught means driving without a valid license. Just the other day, Xiao Zhang from our fleet tried to sneakily drive a tourist coach with his Class A2 license and got his vehicle impounded by transport authorities right outside the parking lot—Class A2 only allows you to drive tractor units! Nowadays, to test for Class A1, you first need to have held a Class B license for at least three years or a Class A2 for two years before you can upgrade.
