MiDAS Standard

Thecore training for anyone who drives a minibus as part of their role.Standard training consists of the following elements:



Online theory*



Practical session (1.5 hours)



Driving assessment (45 minutes)

Must be completed 48 hours before the practical session.

Midas Minibus Driver Training - Accessible Training

Practical Session

Introductions and background

Drivers will be asked about their minibus driving experience and their driving role. This will help to inform the questions they are asked throughout the assessment and gauge the level of support that they might need.

Feedback from the online theory

Drivers will have an opportunity to discuss any questions or challenges relating to the online theory course.

Licence, insurance and eyesight checks

Before driving the vehicle, the Driver Assessor will ensure that the driver holds the correct driving licence entitlement and will conduct an eyesight check.

Vehicle familiarisation

The Driver Assessor will ensure that the driver is familiar with the basic driving controls.

Show me / tell me questions

Based on their background and experience, the driver will be asked some show me / tell me questions. These questions are available to the driver in advance.

Demonstration drive

Opportunity to help the driver feel more at ease, if required.

Driving Assessment

The driving assessment will take place after the practical session. The driving assessment is pass / fail and a driver will fail a MiDAS assessment where they:



Commit a major driving fault at any point during the assessment.



Commit the same minor driving fault three or more times during the second part of the driving assessment.

The practical assessment consists of the following elements:

Part 1

Part 1 is 15 minutes of assessed driving. During this time, only major faults are formally counted. Driver Assessors will note down any minor faults to feedback.

Half time feedback

This is an opportunity for the driver to receive feedback before moving onto the second part of the assessment.

Part 2

A further 15 minutes of assessed driving. During this part of the assessment, any minor faults are formally noted, as well as any major faults. Drivers will also be asked to complete at least 1 reversing manoeuvre.

Result and feedback

Following the completion of the assessment, Driver Assessor will tell the driver their result and provide feedback.

MiDAS Certificates

Following the Driving Assessment, the result will be uploaded to the CTA online system (usually within 10 working days). Drivers will then receive an email letting them know that their certificate is available to download.

Certificates are valid for 4 years.

Feedback and Instructors

Please see below for a selection of recent testimonials about MiDAS training delivered by our instructors.

Martin was really calm and explained everything really well.

MiDAS Trainee

Alan was very supportive and put you at ease. He was very thorough with the theory prior to the practical test. During the practical test he explained the vehicle check well and the importance of this.

MiDAS Trainee

Really supportive and encouraging. Lots of useful knowledge.

MiDAS Trainee

My Driver Assessor had great technical knowledge. He also had a calm approach, which made the process fun and engaging.

MiDAS Trainee

Martin was excellent and left no room for improvement.

MiDAS Trainee

Martin's warm and friendly demeanour made me feel comfortable and at ease, boosting my confidence in what initially felt like a daunting task.

MiDAS Trainee

The training was extremely informative and I feel so much more confident with my driving.

MiDAS Trainee

I think we all learned a lot in a very engaged group, good people skills from the DA, no one felt stressed by the impending practical.

MiDAS Trainee

Martin is a very good communicator and clearly passionate about his subject which made the course really helpful and interesting. His feedback on my driving was very helpful.

MiDAS Trainee

Martin was incredibly informative, supportive, and reassuring, especially when I was driving a minibus in challenging conditions (ice & snow).

MiDAS Trainee

A very worthy and knowledgeable instructor who listened to and answered our questions thoroughly.

MiDAS Trainee

Very approachable, supportive and knowledgeable. Thank you!

MiDAS Trainee

Martin Carter

MiDAS Training Coordinator

Alan Russell

MiDAS Instructor