About two million years ago a common ancestor of Darwin’s Finches arrived on the Galapagos Islands. There are now 15 species of finch located on the islands, all ranging in size, colour, and beak shape. Recently, however, another species has emerged, not through natural selection as before but through hybridisation – the mating of two different species to create a new one.

Similarly, the way in which schools acquire a school minibus has evolved, and more recently we have also witnessed hybridisation. We know this because over the last decade or so we have been issuing surveys to schools, asking them about which methods they use to acquire their minibus.

Approximately ten years ago, most schools owned a minibus outright (some of whom shared their minibus with a neighbouring school), but as time went on and budgets were squeezed we saw an increase in the leasing of school minibuses (the evolution). From then, there was a rise in the number of schools opting to share their leased minibus with a neighbouring school in the same cluster, trust or council (hybridisation), presumably because budgets were squeezed even further.

As you might be able to tell by this market research, the team here at Benchmark have for some time been working hard to create the most convenient minibus packages for schools – evolving (there’s that word again) the arrangement through feedback, primarily from teachers, site managers, administrators, and management.

To speak to someone about buying a minibus, leasing a minibus, or sharing a leased or bought minibus with a neighbouring school in the same cluster, trust, or council, call 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk. Alternatively, you can browse the minibuses that we sell and lease (including Accessible Minibuses) on our website at: www.minibusleasing.co.uk/minibus-services.php.