It is a sad fact that some methods of purchasing are deemed more newsworthy than others.

For example, if you type “school minibus” into Google and then click on the News option at the foot of the page, you will be taken to a range of stories about schools that are raising money to buy a school minibus.

There are tales of teachers doing a sponsored run to raise money for the bus, PTAs working for years raising money and so forth. 

And although the stories are all about great deeds and hard work, what lies behind these headlines are years and years of students not having a resource that could really improve the quality of education (especially learning outside the classroom) that they receive.

What you will struggle to find, should you ever be inclined to do this sort of search, is any story that talks of a school that discusses the idea of having a school minibus, sets up the details, and then a couple of weeks later, takes delivery.

Of course you could argue that this is because no schools achieve this.  No school can decide to have a minibus and then go and get it.

And yet this does happen, and its occurrence is increasingly common.  For a growing percentage of schools choose to lease their minibus rather than buy it.

The prime benefit of course is that you get your new minibus now, rather than after years of fundraising. 

What’s more, if you are doing fundraising in order to pay for part or all of the leasing cost, parents become much more willing to give for the simple reason that they know the money they give will be for a minibus that their children will be using – rather than one that will only be purchased in years to come.

Of course the newspapers won’t like it.  “Ely school has just £1000 to go” as the Cambridge News put it or “Braithwaite minibus appeal gets yet another big boost from fundraise” as the Keighley Times wrote, are the sort of headlines papers insist on running.

“School signs form to lease minibus; delivery next week” is not going to make it past any editor.

However the truth of the matter is that leasing is by far the best option for most schools.  If you would like to see the details, and talk about how you can arrange to have a minibus up and running within weeks, please do call us on 01753 859944, visit our website or email us at minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Of course, it is possible that you absolutely adore keeping a check on the roadworthiness of the school minibus.  Or it might be the case that someone else has taken the job on and is doing the checks for you.

If either case is true, then I’d like to offer my congratulations – because the truth of the matter is that in most schools looking after the minibus is actually listed within the school’s risk assessment as being down to your department.

But if you are the person with whom the buck stops, there is something you can do the lessen the load.

First off, it is fairly obvious that the newer the minibus, the less likely there is to be a problem.  But, as we all know, few schools have the money to buy a new minibus – hence the ageing fleet.

However, where a minibus is leased the huge upfront payment for a new bus disappears.  And. what’s more, there is an second benefit.  And it is this…

Maintenance and servicing, (including tyres, clutch, battery, etc) can be covered within a leasing agreement. 

So you get a double benefit.  A new minibus, which is less likely to have problems plus the option of having a professional undertake all the standard maintenance and servicing.

This effectively reduces the onus that is put on the person who is nominated in the school’s transport policy to look after the minibus.  Indeed, it was to overcome issues and difficulties such as this that we introduced full maintenance as part of our minibus leasing. 

Not only do the schools that use our service get a new minibus without having to use current capital to buy it, they also get our certification that the bus has been checked by qualified engineers.

Given that the majority of school minibuses on the road are over five years old, this approach can be particularly valuable.

If you would like to know more take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php. 

Alternatively email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.