Imagine that one way or another you manage to raise the money to buy a minibus. Maybe a second hand minibus, but still you have bought a minibus.

Wherever that money comes from one thing is almost certain – you won’t be able to go back and ask for that money to be raised again, at least not for quite a long time.

Which is a problem, because even if you buy a new minibus now you’ll probably need a replacement in five years. If it took two years to raise the money this time, then that means you have to broach the subject again in three years.

OK, that is still three years away, but for the people who were involved in fund raising or budget squeezing in order to get you the new minibus three years will seem like no time at all.

“What’s the matter with the one we just bought you?” you’ll be asked, and it is a very hard question to answer.

But the problem is that minibuses over five years old become a bit of a safety risk. Standards change, requirements change, and gradually the vehicle becomes less and less reliable.

However there is a way around this – and that is leasing. With leasing the vehicle is paid for month by month without the school needing to take a big hit financially all in one go.

But this doesn’t mean that the generosity of friends of the school will be by-passed. Far from it, in fact. Because if the PTA or any other organisation is willing to raise money for you, that can be put towards paying the lease.

The vehicle can still be the vehicle provided by the PTA – and the PTA still pays for it. It just means that the method of allocating the money is different.

And you also get 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, but 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.