Some schools feel they can’t afford even
one minibus. So how can other schools afford to
have two or three minibuses on the road?

That question might sound rhetorical – and if it does the chances are you believe the answer is obvious. Minibuses are expensive items and school budgets are too tight to afford one at the moment.

But the fact is that the real reason some schools don’t have the minibus they so urgently need is because they have not always had the chance to look at all the options.

In fact when it comes to minibuses there are three options available. You can buy a new minibus, buy a second hand minibus or lease a minibus.

Now I can understand any school not buying a new minibus – they are expensive and they depreciate over time. As for second hand buses, they can be quite problematic, and one can end up with far higher bills than one initially imagined.

But leasing is a different matter. Leasing is perceived by some to be expensive but is in fact just about the most cost effective approach to getting a new minibus that there is.

One of the reasons for this is that as a company Benchmark buys large numbers of minibuses from the manufacturers, and thus the cost of the minibus drops dramatically. So our starting prices are always very low.

What’s more if your traditional route has been the raising of money by the school PTA you can still use them to get the bus – you just use the money provided, month by month for the lease.

Which is a handy approach since it overcomes the problem of not being able to ask the PTA to raise the money again for the next minibus for a number of years. By which time your bus will be running up significant repair and maintenance bills.

But with a leased minibus – which as I intimated above is certainly going to cost far less than is popularly imagined – you not only get a brand new vehicle, you get additional services.

For example, the vehicle can be kitted out from the off exactly to your specification.

Also, if you wish and add the option to your agreement, we can come to the school and undertake safety inspections and/or maintenance on your site – so you don’t lose the bus for a day (as some leasing firms require) when the vital checks are undertaken.

We are able supply vehicles with your school crest on the side and can also supply bespoke racking and storage. Additionally we work in partnership with leading driver training experts enabling you to make best use of your staff and assets.

Pulling all this together, a brand new Ford Transit 15 seat minibus is available from less than £360 + VAT per month on a 3 Year, 30,000 mile fully maintained basis – that’s equivalent to just £83 + VAT per Week to lease a brand new, fully maintained minibus valued at over £29,000 + VAT!

If you would like to know more, please give us a call on 01753 859944 or email us at minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk