How old is a school minibus?

It is, I admit, a strange question, but ultimately it is a meaningful question. For the fact is that a survey of these vehicles has shown that over half of the school minibuses on the road are over five years old.

That is not to say that a five year old minibus is a problem if it has been fully maintained. But the fact is that all vehicles, as they get older, become less reliable and need more attention.

Additionally after five years or so they cost more to run and take up more time in maintenance.

But there is another fact that needs to be considered. For the survey which revealed the age of the nation’s school minibus fleet also showed that minibuses are increasingly being used for regular journeys to other schools, colleges, swimming pools and the like, as well as occasional visits organised by departments.

Thus some of these buses are now doing many more miles per term than they were doing when they were new.

All of which means that vehicles are not only on average older, but they are also being used more – and this adds to the problem.

Unfortunately the simple solution to this dilemma (buy a new minibus) is often a very difficult option to pursue, as quite often the finance for a new vehicle is no longer available.

However, there is an alternative, which is to lease a minibus. At present around 20% of school minibuses are leased – but the report mentioned above shows that well over half of schools are now considering financing their next minibus via a lease.

What’s more, leasing still allows the school to have the school name and logo on the side of the bus – with a full range of models available.

If you would like to see what models are available, do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

One final bonus: not only does leasing overcome the question of funding, it also offers the opportunity of putting the maintenance with the leasing company – thus ensuring that the bus is fully serviced throughout the year and running at the highest safety standards.

If you would like more information please email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.

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.

I know it is a shocking thing to suggest but sometimes the media can be a little misleading.

It’s not that the writers and editors are deliberately malicious or have particular political agendas (although of course that is always a possibility) but rather that they are always on the lookout for stories that involve people doing stuff.

In terms of the world of the minibus, “doing stuff” means one of two things. It means years of endless fundraising to get the money to buy a minibus, or it means taking the bus somewhere exciting for a school trip.

The problem is that this approach to what is news and what isn’t, effectively excludes a key point: that is that fewer and fewer schools are going through the fundraising approach, as more and more discover the leasing route.

There are two good reasons for this. First, fundraising to get a minibus takes dedication and years of work, and the number of people willing to put in this much effort is limited.

But second, once the minibus is purchased there is still further expenditure. The bus needs servicing and repairs, and ultimately it needs replacing.

However one can hardly raise the funds for a minibus and hand these over to the school, and then start the fundraising again for the next bus immediately after!

Yet in effect that is what ought to happen – and it is because it doesn’t that sometimes schools end up with minibuses that are over five years old and not in the best of condition.

So leasing a school minibus may not be an exciting story, and it may not make the news, but it is what an increasing number of schools are doing.

There is no need for a major upfront payment, and the subsequent budgeting of the costs works from a pre-planned set of arrangements that incorporate not only the lease, but also all the servicing and repair costs.

Of course there are other benefits. A new minibus works wonders in impressing parents – including those who are thinking of sending their children to the school (don’t forget to put the new bus on display on open days!)

And then there is the safety issue – by definition a new vehicle is safer than an old one, as more and more safety features are built into vehicles all the time.

Of course you’ll have your own requirements for your bus, and we can work to these to ensure you can obtain the minibus that most suits your needs.

But however you want to proceed, whatever you need the bus for, whether it is the first, second or third in your fleet, leasing allows you to obtain the bus you want, now, and a clear knowledge of the funding that is involved.

To find out more call us on 01753 859944. Alternatively take a look at our website.

Many small schools have long felt that there’s no chance of them having a minibus. They are simply too small and couldn’t afford it.

It’s a reasonable point to make – for smaller schools purchasing such a vehicle is out of the question, and even leasing looks expensive, when the bus is not going to be used five days a week.

As a result the goodwill of parents and grandparents is drawn upon to shuttle children to special events, and to ensure that they can take up the opportunities that exist in the local area.

However there is an alternative approach: a minibus shared between schools.

By and large the system works in a very straightforward way. Two or more schools agree to lease the minibus. Since all the repairs and servicing are handled by Benchmark Leasing there is no extra workload placed on any school or any individual in terms of maintenance.

The schools then agree a rough division of the leasing costs based on their estimated use of the bus. In the most simple terms if school A has the bus two days a week, and school B three days a week (with no weekend use) then school A pays 40% of the lease.

Then as time goes by, if the log shows that school A is actually using the bus 50% of the time, perhaps taking up usage one afternoon a week when school B is not using it, the payments are adjusted between the schools.

If you would like to talk about how you could jointly lease a minibus please do call us on 01753 859 944.

Alternatively take a look at our website for more information.

Once upon a time there was red tape. Then there was a government plan to get rid of all the red tape introduced by its predecessor.

Then there was more red tape.

Now, given this scenario, you might think that the issue of who can drive a minibus is complex and restricted. But…

But actually this is not really the case. You should be able to drive a minibus if you hold a car driving licence and follow certain conditions.

The first big issue to consider is hire and reward. Normally you can drive a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats using your current car driving licence as long as there’s no payment from or on behalf of the passengers.

So as long as parents or students are not paying specifically for the journey you should be ok and you can even drive a minibus in the UK and on temporary visits abroad (if the minibus has a calibrated tachograph).

Indeed even if you are making a charge to the students for travelling in the minibus you can still drive it providing you follow these conditions: you apply for a Minibus Permit, the driver is 21 or older, the vehicle can carry between 9 and 16 passengers, you’re driving it for a voluntary organisation that benefits the community (such as a school), the general public can’t use the minibus service, and any charges are to cover running costs and are made on a non-profit basis.

Of course this is only a summary and some additional regulations do apply here. For example, the driver must have had a full Driving Licence for at least 2 years, and the driving must be done on a voluntary basis – so it can’t be part of the terms and conditions of the job, nor can it result in additional payment by the school to the driver for undertaking the work.

All these conditions apply for a minibus up to a weight of not more than 3.5 tonnes (or 4.25 tonnes including specialist equipment for disabled passengers, eg a wheelchair ramp).

Oh yes, and you can’t tow a trailer.

Obviously this information is only intended as a guide and can’t be taken as a definitive list of do’s and don’ts. And it is always good to get approval from the governors, Local Authority or similar body if there is any doubt. There is more information on the Government’s own website on www.gov.uk/driving-a-minibus

To purchase a school minibus is expensive, and it may well be that the funds are not available to purchase a minibus outright.

So you may consider leasing a minibus.

The great benefit of leasing is that the purchase of the bus doesn’t come in one lump from school funds. Rather the bus is paid for as it is used by the school.

Through this arrangement we, as the company that leases out the minibus, also take over the maintenance of the minibus and thereby undertake to keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

A minibus which is leased is simply paid for on a monthly basis, and some schools find it is possible to fund this without taking anything from the school’s capital account.

What’s more, 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.

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.

Trying to get students to feel positive about their school and all that it does is a tough call. Easier with primary children, but tougher as they get older.

For a teenager, saying that school is “cool” (or whatever jargon word they have for that feeling this week) is just not on.

But tucked inside this common observation of the disaffection of youth there are two other factors to consider.

The first is the issue of rivalry. The second is the fact that despite their occasional displays of public disaffection, even teenagers can feel pride in their school and what it represents.
For the reality is that travelling in a modern, well equipped minibus does give students a buzz of extra excitement and pride.

And it is a pride that even teenagers will engage in, particularly when they visit a rival school for an event – knowing full well that the rival school does not have such a modern vehicle at their disposal.

Add in the school logo on the side of the bus, and the transformation is complete. There is a feeling that yes, this school really is ahead of the game.

And of course that is what leasing allows schools to be. Questions of pupil pride may not be top of the list when it comes to reasons for getting a new school minibus but it is just one more bonus, alongside the fact that safety is improved, breakdowns dramatically reduced, petrol consumption is reduced, etc.

For more information on our range of minibuses for schools, please call us on 01753 859 944.

Alternatively please take a look at our website.

For many schools the first concern about having a school minibus is the funding. However with the move to leasing a bus rather than trying to raise the cash for one ahead of a purchase, many more schools are now able to benefit from having their own vehicle.

But minibuses – like all vehicles on the road – are subject to licences, rules and regulations, and sometimes over time it is possible that one or two of these regulations can forgotten – very occasionally with serious consequences.

Of course, most of the rules are fairly obvious – and you won’t be surprised to read that yes, you do need a licence before you can drive a minibus.

But there are often questions such as, “is a car licence ok?” And, of course, this being the world of regulation the answer is, “that depends”. Not everyone with a car licence can drive a school minibus.

Then there is the “operating licence” which is different from the driving licence and the question of the law on seatbelts. Plus all the extra issues that arise if you take the bus abroad.

And more, and more…

In a recent informal survey we discovered that a substantial number of people who were responsible for the running of a school minibus were not fully au fait with all the regulations and could potentially be committing an offence.

So we thought we would try to be of help by producing, “Operating a Minibus – your responsibilities” which is available free of charge.

Of course. some of the regulations cover situations which are fairly obscure – but then in the course of school life, the obscure can occasionally happen – and it is never a bad idea to be fully aware of what the regulations say.

So if you would like a free copy, all you have to do is send an email to laura@schools.co.uk and we will forward you the report. There is no charge and no obligation.

And there’s a further bonus. On reading the report, if you find that the key question you need answered is not there, you can write in and we’ll do all that we can to find the answer for you. We’ll also put that answer in the next copy of the report – so you will be helping many other colleagues in schools across the country by drawing attention to the issue.

If you have any enquiries please do call 01753 859 944.

If you are interested in leasing or buying a minibus we have further information on our website at www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

No one argues about the benefit of having a minibus – or indeed even a second or third minibus for the school.

From transporting students from outlying villages to taking sports teams to away fixtures, the reasons for use are as many and varied as there are schools with minibuses.

But there is always the issue of costs – and the knowledge that the minibus will, after a number of years solid use, start to show its age and become costly to repair.

Which is why leasing appeals. For not only is there no need for a major upfront payment, but also the subsequent budgeting of the costs works from a pre-planned set of arrangements, that incorporates not only the lease, but also all the servicing and repair costs.

Of course there are other benefits. A new minibus works wonders in impressing parents – including those who are thinking of sending their children to the school (don’t forget to put the new bus on display on open days!)

And then there is the safety issue – by definition a new vehicle is safer than an old one, as more and more safety features are built into vehicles all the time.

Now that is a fairly long list of benefits already – but it is by no means complete, for minibus leasing also ensures that the road fund licence is renewed at the right time, that the MOT is taken care of when that comes around, and that break down cover is always incorporated into the arrangements.

Of course you’ll have your own requirements for your bus, and we can work to these to ensure you can obtain the minibus that most suits your needs.

For example, if you already have a 17 seater bus, you might opt for a 9 seater as the follow up. Disabled access is important, but given the requirements of those in your school, you might not need full disabled facilities in each minibus.

However you want to proceed, whatever you need the bus for, whether it is the first, second or third in your fleet, leasing allows you to obtain the bus you want, now, and a clear knowledge of the funding that is involved.

To find out more call us on 01753 859944. Alternatively take a look at our website.

When it comes to the school minibus, given the choice I’m sure many of us would rather choose to drive a new one rather than an old one.

And when it comes to maintenance work for the minibus, I’m sure that the vast majority of us would choose not to have to regularly check the tyres, the clutch, the battery, etc.

You can now breathe a sigh of relief as both of those choices can now be met through having a leased minibus that comes complete with a maintenance contract.

The great benefit of leasing is that the purchase of the bus doesn’t come in one lump from school funds. Rather the bus is paid for as it is used by the school.

And you also get the benefit of 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, 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.