The AA hotel star rating has been around forever. In more recent years Scores on the Doors has arrived but now, for the very first time, a star rating for minibus and coach operators is launched today and already more than 50 companies are on board with more in the process of joining.
This begs the question, why? Is it because transport companies want to prove themselves, show they care about passenger safety, or, is it that reputable companies that reinvest in their fleet and maintain them safely are sick to death of schools obtaining three quotes and choosing the cheapest? “Both,” says Pat Harris, Director of BUSK, “It is about time parents stood up and insisted their child’s school hired on safety criteria and not cost alone and also be prepared to pay an extra £1 for the trip.”
Benchmark is unique because it is the first time in the history of minibus and coach operation that a star rating system has been available in the UK. In BUSK’s 20th anniversary year, it has introduced a simply structured scheme allowing a reputable operator to visually demonstrate to everyone that they are safety compliant by displaying their awarded green stars on their fleet.
“A Benchmark company has been checked out by BUSK before they are accepted onto the scheme and they will be policed by us for as long as they remain members. This gives parents confidence that their child is guaranteed to be in safe hands when travelling with a Benchmarked company. Benchmark star rating is nothing to do with luxury and absolutely everything to do with safety.” said Pat Harris.
In April last year BUSK launched Simply Safe with the aim of changing the culture of how schools hired transport for school trips. Using this free tool, busy teachers or school secretaries were offered free legal advice on how to fulfill their legal obligations of providing pupils with a ‘safe journey’. It is common practice for the cheapest transport to be used without any questions being asked. This risks the safety of the pupils that schools have a duty of care to protect. There can be no excuse not to hire safely.
Around 100 coach operators have joined Simply Safe in the last few months and around half of those are already signed up to Benchmark. Pat explained, “Only Simply Safe members can apply to for a Benchmark rating because the necessary background checks on each Simply Safe company have evidenced they are compliant with the required legal standards. They maintain their fleet to a safe level and employ experienced, highly qualified professionals to drive them.
The driver is one of the most important people in the company. They do not use casual drivers who may have lost their license because of health problems or driving offences. There can be no excuse for any school not to ask relevant questions and I am afraid that no matter how cash strapped a school is or how busy staff are, this amounts to asking pertinent questions other than just ‘how cheap can we hire you?’ Cheap coach hire must always be challenged as it is normally only possible when the company offering it has fallen below an acceptable level of safety and is flaunting the regulations. I personally challenge any coach operator offering cheap hire to prove me wrong. “
“Acklams Coaches joined Benchmark are delighted that at last this overdue star rating system has been introduced. Now we can show everyone that we operate to a really high and safe standard,” said MD Paul Acklam
