Registering a seat:
Please complete a School Bus Pass Application Form online at www.andrews-coaches.co.uk and submit it to us as soon as possible.
Seats on our school buses will be issued on a first come first served basis until the buses are full. After this, any additional applications will be processed but will require an additional ‘parental / guardian consent to stand’ form completing to allow students to stand in the vehicle when there are no seats available. Our buses are legally able to carry standing passengers but we will only do so if consent has been given by a parent or guardian.
Did you know?
If you currently receive certain income-related benefits then you may be entitled to free school transport. If you think you may qualify, then please contact Leicestershire County Council School Transport Section on 0116 3050002 to see if you qualify.
Data protection:
Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us and we are committed to abiding by data protection laws that protect your privacy. A copy of our latest privacy policy can be found on our website: www.andrews-coaches.co.uk. Alternatively, please contact us if you require a paper copy.
By providing your personal data to us, you give your consent for us to record and retain it for 14 months from the point of submission, this includes a photo for use on a bus pass and identification of students. We will use your data to correspond with you during the relevant academic year after which you will need to reapply for subsequent academic years. Information regarding students that travel with us will also be shared with the school. You must notify us in writing via email or post of any changes in contact details.
CCTV:
CCTV images are recorded on our school buses for increased student and driver safety.
By accepting these terms and conditions and using our bus service you consent to the use of CCTV images to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.
You also consent to the release of recorded CCTV surveillance to school authorities or the police to identify victims or perpetrators.
Behaviour:
All students are expected to behave appropriately whilst onboard the school buses and any serious anti-social behaviour or vandalism will result in the student being removed from the bus service permanently with immediate effect.
Examples of anti-social behaviour include fighting, bullying, verbal abuse, harassment, vandalism, graffiti, smoking, vaping, distracting the driver and throwing objects around or from the windows of the vehicle.
Parents and students are encouraged to report incidents of anti-social behaviour or any other concerns they may have to us as soon as possible so that we can deal with any issues quickly. Information given to us is treated as confidential and will be investigated.
For vandalism or graffiti, we will seek to recover the cost of any repairs to the vehicle.
If a student is found to be involved in an incident on a school bus, they may be instructed to sit in a certain seat for a certain period or excluded from the vehicle for a certain period. If a student is temporarily excluded then no refunds will be given for this period.
Bus passes:
Replacement bus passes can be obtained at a cost of £10.00.
Please contact us via email or telephone as soon as possible if you lose your bus pass so we can notify drivers.
Upon reporting a lost bus pass, we will allow students three days to find it, after this time you will be asked to purchase a new one.
As an emergency we do advise that students take a photo of their bus pass and save it to their phone, this can then be used during the three days grace period of loss but is not a permanent replacement for the plastic bus pass and can be refused by the driver if they are unsure of its validity.
Students must not deface the photo on the bus pass to make the image unrecognisable to the driver. If the bus pass is defaced deliberately beyond normal wear and tear, then students will be asked to purchase a new bus pass.
If a student is found to be abusing their bus pass by lending it to another student, using another student’s bus pass to travel or attempting to use a fraudulently made bus pass then they will be removed from our school bus service immediately.
No pass no travel:
Please be aware that we do operate a NO PASS NO TRAVEL policy on all of our school buses
both in the morning and in the afternoon. This is due to a number of reasons:
• Our contracts are a paid service for students and carrying a valid bus pass proves that you are up to date with your payments.
• Our school bus services are a ‘closed’ service and are not open to the general public, carrying a valid bus pass proves you are entitled to travel on that vehicle.
• For insurance reasons we can only carry students that are officially registered with us on a specific contract. If an accident occurs, we are then able to contact the parents of those students that travel in that vehicle. If a student attempts to travel without a valid bus pass, they are not registered with us and hence we will not be able to account for them.
• Students may have had their bus pass removed for anti-social behaviour or vandalism.
The driver would not know the reason a student does not carry a valid bus pass and so to safeguard the interests of all those travelling any student without a valid bus pass will be refused travel. This is company policy and it is not the driver’s fault if a student is refused travel due to not having a valid bus pass.
The student remains the responsibility of the parent until they are accepted onto our vehicle for travel. Please ensure students have their bus passes.
Delays to bus services:
Occasionally our bus services may be delayed due to circumstances beyond our control i.e. traffic conditions, road closures, breakdowns, or adverse weather. We advise that students wait for a minimum of 30 minutes after the scheduled pick-up time before making any alternative arrangements. In the case of long delays to our service, we will do our best to keep the school staff informed.
Breakdowns:
In the case of vehicle breakdowns or emergency situations whilst on a school service we advise that students follow the instructions given to them by their driver. Please remain in the vehicle unless it becomes unsafe to do so. We will always arrange a replacement vehicle to cover the route as soon as possible but ask that students are patient whilst we deal with any situations.
Days off:
Unfortunately, we cannot refund bus fares for days off the students may have for illness or for any unforeseen school closures i.e. snow days.
Cancelling your subscription:
If you find that you no longer need to use our bus service you must give us 7 days’ notice in writing via email or post that the student will be leaving the bus and must return their bus pass to us to confirm your cancellation as soon as possible after the last day of travel. If you do not return the bus pass then you are still liable for the payments as the bus pass is still registered with us as being actively used. Refunds on any credit balances will not be issued until we receive the student’s bus pass.
Payments:
Once you have submitted your online application form, we will contact you with an email confirmation. Please do not make a deposit payment to us until you have received a confirmation email from us accepting your application.
If you are a previous customer then your application will only be accepted if your payments for previous academic years are paid in full.
A non-refundable deposit of £50.00 will be due to complete your application and secure your seat on the school bus. This payment covers our initial administration costs for setting up your account with us and does form part of the overall balance due for travel during this academic year.
We offer a choice of payment options for the remaining balance due after the deposit is paid:
Option 1: Pay the total cost for the academic year upfront for a £20.00 discount off the total cost. The remaining balance would be paid on 1st September 2023.
Option 2: Pay over ten months from September 2023 to June 2024 inclusive. You will need to set up a standing order to our bank account for ten payments on the first of each month.
Option 3: Pay six half-term payments. You will need to make payments to our bank account on the first school day of each half term.
We will send you our account details and a reference to put on your bank payments so we can identify your payments. If making payments by cheque please make them payable to ‘Andrews of Leicester Ltd’. Your bank can assist you in setting up standing order payments to us. Unfortunately, we are unable to take card payments over the phone or online.
By agreeing to our Terms and Conditions you agree to be responsible for the payments detailed for the school bus you are applying for. Please see our price list on our website and choose your payment option carefully. You will receive confirmations of the payments due in the post when your bus pass is issued.
You will receive payment reminders via email and post. If your payment is more than 28 days late then we will issue a refusal notice where your account with us will be deemed void and cancelled. If a refusal notice is issued then the student will be refused travel on the school bus. You will then be given the option to pay the amount to reactivate your account or return the student’s bus pass to our office to cancel your account so you will no longer be liable for the subscription payments.