The "I am thinking about becoming a mini tour operator" thread

[Pap_sak]

Frankly, I am gatvol of being in retail, 20 years of it and I am now done. So have been scouting around and looking as other possibilities, and the one I like and more importantly, I feel I could be very good at, is becoming a tour operator. Nothing huge, just me and a 8 seater mini van - something like a Hyndai H1. I live a little outside Cape Town and an sure initially would be operating more as a "taxi", with the tour part taking a little longer to set up.

I have around a year and a 1/2 to plan and implement and am starting a tentative business plan/ checklist and would really like to hear from anybody in this sector. Things like licenses, type of vehicle, course I should do, and what market I should be aiming for. And of course, any pitfalls that I can expect!

[Justloadit]

First thing you need is a personal public drivers license. Not sure about the vehicle, but if not mistaken this has to be registered as well for public transport.

[adrianh]

Insurance can be a bastard.

[Vivaci Anon]

just me and a 8 seater mini van ... any pitfalls that I can expect!

You will be hijacked.

[Pap_sak]

First thing you need is a personal public drivers license. Not sure about the vehicle, but if not mistaken this has to be registered as well for public transport.

Yup, on the list

Am getting a price on insurance/ public liability now - guessing around R1500 p/m

will not be buying a Toyota Quantum - hope that helps in the hijacking and theft stakes!

[Pap_sak]

Insurance not too bad - full comp as a taxi R960 - passenger liability an extra R100 for 5 mill

Better than I thought, and that would pretty much be my only fixed expense - maybe another couple of hundred of office expenses and a bit for the bookkeeper. Big diff from my current fixed of around R25K p/m

[adrianh]

I can just imagine the tour: On the left you see the wine farms...burning, on the right are the wineries....sorry, those were the wineries last week, now there are just pillars left because the weka's took the stainless steel sheeting to build their hokkies, in front of us is the highway...sh1t, scratch that, it is a concrete strip covered in rocks, burning tyres and police shooting teargas. Ok, next, we are now passing khayelitsha, yes, you are right madam, those people are sitting on top of the koppie taking a dump in the sun because they tore down the structures, they say that they will crap in the sun or bulletproof concrete - either is ok. Yes those people sitting there at the station are crazy, they burned the train last week Wednesday because it was 5 minutes late and they have been sitting there eversince waiting for the train to take them to work (yes I know there is no such things as ghost trains - ok, ok, except in Harry Potter). Oh look, see those teachers and schoolkids running there, they are on their way to the Department Of Education because there is absolutely nothing to learn in this county, because they already know that Verwoerd caused all the strife and anyhow they burned the school down 3 weeks ago because they felt that it was a little overcrowded. We are now passing through Mitchells Plein, please put on your bullet proof vest and kopdak because the locals are having a little shoot-em-up at primary school again, you see those gangsters there, yes the ones with the Uzi's, they are in grade 3, you can tell because they do not carry AK47 yet. Please feel free to ask me to stop at the next intersection if you would like to purchase some of the local merchandise, the hawkers have a variety of bullets, knives, drugs that you can smoke, drink or just swallow. We are now on our way back to the airport, oh dear, are you really planning to give your baggage to ACSA so that they can put it on the plane for you, ag shame man, we should rather just stop here and you can just toss it in the veld. At least you know where it went. With ACSA it could end up in any city in the world or more likely spread over many houses here in the ...Plein.

Thank you for taking the tour and hope you come again soon, we still have 10,000 guest houses and a brand spanking new soccer stadium to pay off from the last time we got a little too caught up in the moment.

[Pap_sak]

I can just imagine the tour: On the left you see the wine farms...burning, on the right are the wineries....sorry, those were the wineries last week, now there are just pillars left because the weka's took the stainless steel sheeting to build their hokkies, in front of us is the highway...sh1t, scratch that, it is a concrete strip covered in rocks, burning tyres and police shooting teargas. Ok, next, we are now passing khayelitsha, yes, you are right madam, those people are sitting on top of the koppie taking a dump in the sun because they tore down the structures, they say that they will crap in the sun or bulletproof concrete - either is ok. Yes those people sitting there at the station are crazy, they burned the train last week Wednesday because it was 5 minutes late and they have been sitting there eversince waiting for the train to take them to work (yes I know there is no such things as ghost trains - ok, ok, except in Harry Potter). Oh look, see those teachers and schoolkids running there, they are on their way to the Department Of Education because there is absolutely nothing to learn in this county, because they already know that Verwoerd caused all the strife and anyhow they burned the school down 3 weeks ago because they felt that it was a little overcrowded. We are now passing through Mitchells Plein, please put on your bullet proof vest and kopdak because the locals are having a little shoot-em-up at primary school again, you see those gangsters there, yes the ones with the Uzi's, they are in grade 3, you can tell because they do not carry AK47 yet. Please feel free to ask me to stop at the next intersection if you would like to purchase some of the local merchandise, the hawkers have a variety of bullets, knives, drugs that you can smoke, drink or just swallow. We are now on our way back to the airport, oh dear, are you really planning to give your baggage to ACSA so that they can put it on the plane for you, ag shame man, we should rather just stop here and you can just toss it in the veld. At least you know where it went. With ACSA it could end up in any city in the world or more likely spread over many houses here in the ...Plein.

Thank you for taking the tour and hope you come again soon, we still have 10,000 guest houses and a brand spanking new soccer stadium to pay off from the last time we got a little too caught up in the moment.

aaah, you got me. That's my tour number 3: The Trouble and Strife One Day Cape Meander

[Phil Cooper]

Hi

Don't worry too much on Passenger Liability - this is under the Road Accident Fund, and there is no claim against you.

As far as general public liability is concerned, if you buy R1-0-m, I can place "top up" cover at around R65 a month increasing the limit to R30,000,000.

I could probably do the basic R1-m plus the top up around R250 per month or so - ballpark figures.

[Pap_sak]

Cheers for that Phil - would general public liability cover me for something like a person stepping out the vehicle and breaking her ankle? ie any accidents while under my "care"?

[Phil Cooper]

HI

ANY accidents for which you could be held legally liable would be covered.

Excluding Passenger Liability (whilst in the vehicle, arising from the driving thereof) which is under the RAF

[Mike C]

@Adrianh - thanks. I enjoyed that tour immensely!