Construction firms hire plenty of things by the week or the month: plant, cabins, scaffolding, skips. Transport for people is less familiar ground. Yet the same problem comes up on project after project. A group of staff needs to be in the same place at the same time, again and again, for a set number of weeks.
Contract coach hire is designed for that kind of repeat journey. This guide explains what it is, when it makes sense for a construction business and what to ask before you agree to anything.
What contract coach hire is
Contract coach hire is a standing arrangement with a coach operator to run the same journey, or set of journeys, on a regular basis. Instead of booking a vehicle each time, you agree the route, days and times once. The operator then supplies the coach and the driver for the length of the agreement.
It can run for a fixed period or carry on as an ongoing service. That makes it different from one-off private hire, which covers a single trip, and from leasing a vehicle, where finding a qualified driver and looking after the vehicle become your job.
When it makes sense for a construction firm
The common thread is a journey that is regular, shared and predictable. Four situations fit that description.
- A project with a fixed duration. If a team travels from the same starting point to the same site every working day for six months, the journey is predictable enough to contract out for the life of the job.
- Limited parking at or near the site. One coach arriving and leaving at set times replaces the cars its passengers would otherwise have driven.
- Staff spread across offices, yards and sites. A regular run between fixed locations keeps people moving without relying on pool cars.
- Recurring training days, briefings and company events. Monthly inductions, quarterly all-hands meetings and regular site visits for office teams are all repeat journeys.
What the operator handles
The operator provides the vehicle and a professional driver, maintains the coach and is responsible for running the service legally. In Great Britain, GOV.UK guidance states that a public service vehicle (PSV) operator licence is needed to operate a vehicle for hire or reward that can carry nine or more passengers. That requirement sits with the coach company, so ask to see evidence of the licence before you sign.
For the firm buying the service, the practical result is that drivers, servicing and inspections are someone else’s responsibility. Your side of the arrangement is to give an accurate brief and keep the operator informed when the programme changes.
How the cost works
Because the journeys are agreed in advance, the price can be agreed in advance too. A contract gives you a known figure to put in the project budget, which is easier to manage than a run of one-off bookings and expense claims. Ask for a full written quote, and ask what would cause the price to change during the contract.
To judge whether it is worth it, divide the quote by the number of passengers and the number of days. Then compare that figure with what the same journeys cost you now in fuel, parking and lost time.
What to work out before you ask for a quote
- How many people will travel, and whether that number will change during the project.
- Where they start from. One or two pick-up points work better than several.
- The days and times, including any weekend working.
- How long you need the service, and what happens if the programme overruns.
- What staff carry with them, such as bags or PPE, so the operator can allow for luggage space.
- Access at the destination: where a coach can enter, drop off, turn and wait.
The last point deserves a site visit or at least a marked-up plan. A coach needs more room than a van, and the drop-off point has to be kept clear of deliveries and plant movements.
Questions to ask an operator
- Do you hold a PSV operator licence, and can we see it?
- How often are your vehicles inspected?
- What sizes of coach do you run, and what is on board?
- Is the price fixed for the length of the contract?
- What happens if a vehicle or driver is unavailable on the day?
- Can the arrangement be extended or shortened if the programme changes?
- Who is our point of contact?
An example of what is on offer
City Circle’s contract coach hire is one example. The company, which has branches in London and Edinburgh, offers it to clients who need repeat transport on a regular basis, either ongoing or for a fixed period, and provides a full quote before booking. It also runs a dedicated staff travel service for businesses, covering commuter services and travel between offices.
With a quick Google, you’ll also find a variety of other options – it’s always worth getting multiple quotes.
Is it right for your project?
Contract hire suits journeys that are regular, shared and predictable. If the group is small, the times vary from day to day or people travel in from every direction, it probably isn’t the answer.
If you have dozens of people making the same trip on the same days for months, it is worth getting a quote alongside your other preliminaries. Compare it with what those journeys cost you now, and with what a late start costs the programme.
