The union operates a fleet of minibuses available for hire to all clubs, societies and projects. These vehicles are managed by Imperial College Union to provide an affordable service to any student activities needing transport for trips, tours or competitions. All minibus hires must be associated with a recognised CSP or college department for insurance purposes.
Who can book a minibus?
Please note, that you must be a core committee member - Chair/President, Vice-Chair/President, Treasurer, Secretary or a team Captain in order to request minibuses via e-Activities, as your request constitutes a financial commitment on behalf of your Club, Society or Project.
If you are requesting a minibus for a College department or Department Research Group, you can head to this page to find out more about bookings.
Preparing to hire a minibus
If you are a club, society or project looking to hire a minibus, you must submit requests through your e-Activities account. Before submitting your request, please ensure you have the following:
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Confirmed dates of your activity.
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Union approved driver(s) responsible for driving the vehicle.
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Size of vehicle required.
- Submitted the relevant event / trip forms or annual activity proposal form.
- Location is important. All of our minibuses can be driven around the UK. If you wish to take a minibus to Europe, there is a range of further guidance you must consider before booking. Please see below.
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Further Information About Driving In Europe
Currently the Union has two minibuses which can be taken to other European Union countries – they have 9 seats and a large amount of loading space for equipment. You must have at least 2 drivers if you are taking a minibus to Europe.
Restrictions on driving minibuses in Europe are different to those in the UK and you must contact the Student Activities minibuses team before considering taking a Union minibus abroad. This should be done as far in advance as possible and bookings can be confirmed further in advance then the normal 2 weeks. The bookings for the minibuses are done in the usual way (via eActivities).
There are different regulations for each country in Europe so check that you have all the necessary information and for each county. If you are considering taking a minibus to a country outside of the European Union then please contact the Student Activities minibuses team as far in advance as possible.
Submitting your minibus request
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Step 1 – Budget for your minibus hire
Does your CSP have enough self-generated or grant budgeted for the cost of the minibus hire? After each hire, your CSP will be charged depending on the duration and timing of the minibus hire including any charges or fines you have incurred.
You can find the price of hiring our minibuses here -
Step 2 – Organise your trip
To complete your minibus request, you will need to confirm the dates, timings and equipment needed during the hire. Once you’ve confirmed the above, your activity must be covered by either of the following:
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Annual Activity Proposal (e.g., BUCS fixtures, weekend expeditions or training) - CSP Annual Risk Assessments | Imperial College Union
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Event/Activity Proposal Form - Planning CSP Events | Imperial College Union
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Step 3 – Check the minibus timetable
All our bookings can be tracked through our minibus request calendar here: Minibus Bookings | eActivities (ic.ac.uk). This shows our vehicle's availability throughout the year and existing booking allocations.
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Step 4 – Log in to eActivties and request your minibus!
All requests for the use of minibuses should be made using eActivities.
Administration > Bookings > Minibuses > Request Minibus. You should see the form below when you get to this page.
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Step 5 – Pick up your keys and enjoy your trip!
Once the union processes your minibus request, you will receive an automated email with confirmation, provisional approval, or cancellation.
If confirmed, you will get all the vehicle information and pick up instructions to the approved driver and shared email address. This will contain the booking details and vehicle registration.
This email acts as proof of hire and will need to be shown to the Help Desk when picking up the keys. You will need to complete the vehicle check form before setting off in your minibus.
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Step 6 – Return the keys and complete our vehicle hire form.
You will need to fill our the Vehicle Check Form, at the end of your booking before returning the minibus keys.
You must return your minibus keys back to the Union Help Desk as soon as you return to campus. If you arrive when the Help Desk is closed, you can hand the minibus keys back to security or first thing the next morning.
We often have minibuses hired consecutive days and not handing keys back can impact another CSP booking.
Allocation of minibuses
Users may request as many minibuses as they feel they need at the time. Requests are held in the order in which they are received. While every effort will be made to satisfy all requests there are often not enough minibuses available to meet the demand at any given time. If the supply of minibuses is insufficient to meet all requests, allocations of minibuses are made according to dates submitted and demand for the vehicle.