Home to School Transport Terms & Conditions and Student Code of Conduct

1.        Application of Terms & Conditions

1.1      These terms and conditions apply to all privately funded Home to School Transport. Making an enquiry, application or booking will be deemed as acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.

2         Applications for Home to School Transport

2.1      All applications must be made online by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. The company cannot accept paper or email applications.

2.2      A non-refundable deposit is payable for each seat application which is thereafter deducted from the annual cost.

2.3      An acknowledgement of the application is provided at the time of application and will be emailed to the email address provided, stating the details entered. Applicants are advised to check junk/spam folders for this acknowledgement email.

2.4      Seats are provided based on the information provided by the parent or guardian such as (but not limited to) number of seats required, boarding location and destination. Whilst we are happy to accommodate alterations whenever possible, changes to any of the above details are subject to availability and amendments may incur additional charges.

2.5      The company reserve the right to delay an offer of transport or refuse an application, regardless of completion of an application or acceptance of payment, until they are satisfied that sufficient seats are available. Full refunds are provided under these circumstances.

2.6      The route the student is allocated to and the time of travel will be at the discretion of the Company who reserve the right to change this each academic year to account for route variations.

2.7      Any requests to change the payment option selected at the time of application, must be made in writing and may be subject to additional fees. All current prices are available on the Home to School Transport page of the website.

2.8      Where routes are already fully booked, applicants will be placed on a waiting list. Waiting list priority will be judged by the date and time the application was submitted online.

2.9      The company accepts no liability for applications which have been sent by the company but not received or accepted by the applicant. Applicants are solely responsible for checking their junk mail and spam folders and settings. Applicants are given 7 days to contact the company after an application has been made but no further communication or confirmation has been received by the applicant.

2.10    A space is not secured until full payment is received. If payment is not made the company will not issue a bus pass, ticket or QR code and the student will be unable to travel.

2.11    Where QR codes are issued, these are only valid for the term in which they are purchased and any unused journey’s will not be carried over to the following term thereby rendering them invalid.

2.12    Where multi-trip tickets are issued, these will expire at the end of the last day of each full term (Autum, Winter, Summer) and will thereafter be invalid for travel.

3         Route and Time Variation

3.1      During the journey, the driver is the sole judge of reasonableness regarding any change of route.

3.2      The vehicle will depart at the time agreed on the formal timetables which are approved at the start of each academic year. It is not guaranteed that students will be allocated to the same bus or route as the previous academic year. The company is unable to accommodate requests for students to be allocated to routes with their friends.

3.3      Home to School Transport timetables are subject to change at any time and this will be communicated via the educational establishment the child is attending or by Pulhams.

3.4      We reserve the right to make changes to student’s allocated routes at any time.

3.5      We reserve the right to remove any stop listed in the application process if there are insufficient passengers boarding. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to arrange transport to the next nearest stop.

3.6      The Company accept no liability for loss or injury to any student who fails to join the vehicle at the agreed boarding times or if the student chooses to alight at a different stop.

4         Student Code of Conduct

4.1      All students must remain seated with their seatbelts securely fastened whilst the vehicle is in motion.

4.2      The Company will not accept liability for any loss or damage incurred by passengers who fail to follow the instructions given by the driver and the school.

4.3      In the interests of other passengers, no musical instruments, radios or other audio devices shall be played without the permission of the driver.

4.4      It is strictly forbidden for any student to carry or consume illegal drugs or carry real or replica weapons on the vehicle.

4.5      Smoking is not permitted on any Company vehicle including the use of substitute products such as electronic cigarettes.

4.6      Students must not distract the driver at any time whilst s/he is driving the vehicle unless there is an emergency. Students must not use emergency exits or doors unless instructed to do so or there is a genuine emergency. Students must not stand in front of the driver or on the stairwell.

4.7      Students must not eat, drink or leave litter, throw items inside or outside of the bus or cause disruptive or aggressive behaviour towards another passenger or the driver.

4.8      Students must follow the instructions of the driver at all times.

4.9      The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and as such may remove, or prevent from boarding, any passenger whose conduct is in breach of the Public Service Vehicle (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990. This includes passengers who are abusive to any person or whose behaviour is otherwise considered by the driver to be unacceptable. The parent or guardian will be responsible for the conduct of the student and for any damage caused to the vehicle by the student during the journey. The driver reserves the right to return to the educational establishment if, after warnings, poor behaviour causes a serious safety concern.

4.10    All damage is reported to the school and the police will be contacted.

4.11    CCTV images may be recorded for the purpose of crime prevention and passenger safety.

4.12    Students must carry a bus pass or show a QR code at all times when travelling on Home to School Transport and must have it ready to show the driver when asked. Students are not permitted to use their pass or QR code on any other route, use another student’s pass or QR code or allow another student to use their pass or QR code. Lost or damaged passes must be replaced. The current replacement fee is £10 per pass.

4.13    Students are expected to arrive at the boarding location before the bus is due. The company advises this be at least 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Parents, guardians and students are reminded that the times detailed on the official timetable are departure times. Students are expected to wait 20 minutes if the bus is late.

4.14    Delays to transport will be communicated as soon as is reasonably practicable at www.pulhams.co.uk/service-updates/

4.15    During inclement weather, parents, guardians and students are advised to visit www.pulhams.co.uk/service-updates/  to view the latest weather-related disruptions to Home to School Transport.

4.16    The company reserve the right not to serve stops which are considered too dangerous during inclement weather. Decisions on such matters may not be made until an attempt is made to access the planned stop.

4.17    Students are expected to queue sensibly when waiting at their stop, stand away from the edge of the road and get on and off the bus in an orderly way to avoid injury to themselves and others.

4.18    Students who are required to cross the road after disembarking should do so once the bus has departed so that they can see other vehicles and can be clearly seen by other road users.

4.19    If the bus breaks down or is involved in an accident, students must follow the driver’s instructions. Students should stay calm and not leave the area unless given approval by the driver.

4.20    If a student is unwell or injured during the journey or know someone who is, they should alert the driver when it is safe to do so.

4.21    The company reserve the right to withdraw transport temporarily or permanently for students who fail to comply with these rules.

5         Passenger Property

5.1      For statutory safety reasons all vehicles are subject to certain restrictions on carrying luggage. Large items may not be carried and the hirer should inform the Company of such items at the time of booking where advice will be given.

5.2      The driver has full discretion on the carriage of luggage, property and its storage.

5.3      The Company will take all reasonable steps to avoid loss or damage to the personal property of the hirer or passengers. The hirer must inform the Company if items of high value are to be carried on the vehicle and take reasonable steps to insure against loss or damage.

5.4      If the lost property is contained in a package, bag or other container, we may open it and examine it in order to trace the owner. Due to health and safety foodstuffs and their containers and soiled items are disposed of after 24 hours. We reserve the right to immediately dispose of any items which we consider may become a health and safety risk.

5.5      When reporting lost property please complete the appropriate form on our website www.pulhams.co.uk/contact/lostproperty.  When claiming lost property, you must supply a full description of the item including its contents if applicable and provide the details of where and when it was lost in order to reasonably satisfy us that you are the rightful owner of the property.

5.6      All items of lost property when found are labelled and held at the Company Head Office and are subject to the current Public Service Vehicle (Lost Property) Regulations. Low value items (such as hats, gloves etc.) will be kept for one month. Higher value items (such as mobile phones, cameras etc.) will be kept for three months after which all items are destroyed.

5.7      Once lost property has been identified you will be given details of how and where to collect the item. Under normal circumstances, you will need to collect the lost property from our Head Office in Bourton-on-the-Water during office hours. Alternatively, you will need to arrange and pay for collection by a courier arranged by yourself. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee for handling and packing of lost property items. Once an item has been claimed we will record this in our lost property database. The item must be collected in person or by courier within 14 calendar days after which it will be disposed of.

5.8      It is the responsibility of the hirer and passengers to ensure that adequate insurance cover is sought to cover loss or damage to their own personal items including the cost of return.

5.9      The Company accept no liability for loss and/or damage to passengers’ property, personal items or luggage left unattended in the vehicle.

5.10    We shall not be liable for lost property that you have asked us to replace or leave on a vehicle for you to retrieve from the vehicle on the same day or any day thereafter. Any such requests must be made in writing and we reserve the right to refuse.

5.11    The company will not repair or replace items left on a vehicle which are subsequently stolen via unauthorised entry.

6         Damage and Soiling

6.1      The parent or guardian is responsible for any damage or soiling caused to the vehicle by the student during the journey. A minimum charge of £100 will be made if the vehicle is damaged or soiled. If the extent of the damage or soiling is such that the vehicle is out of service for any length of time the Company may charge the hirer a minimum of £500 per day or part thereof for which the vehicle is out of service.

7         Breakdowns and Delays

7.1      The Company will not be liable for loss or inconvenience caused by breakdown, traffic congestion or other delays outside of our control and no compensation will be provided.

8         Cancellation by the parent or guardian

8.1      Once transport has commenced, cancellations must be made in writing and are subject to charges detailed in these Terms and Conditions.

8.2      In the event of cancellation by the parent or guardian at any time during the academic year, for any reason, the company reserves the right to charge and retain the full year’s travel costs.

8.3      In the case of termly fees, where applicable, in the event of cancellation by the parent or guardian at any time during the academic year the company reserves the right to retain the full term’s travel costs.

8.4      Where a seat can be resold to another student the company will calculate the pro rata amount to be refunded and refund this amount less any administration fees.

9         Cancellation by the Company

9.1      In the event of any emergency or force majeure or any event over which the Company has no control including weather and road conditions no refund will be provided.

10      Complaints

10.1    In the event of complaints about the Company’s products or services the parent or guardian should write to the Company within 7 days. In accordance with our Company Feedback and Complaints Procedure, all complaints are acknowledged within three working days and a full response can be expected within a further ten working days. If we are unable to conclude any part of the investigation within this time, we will ensure the complainant is kept fully informed every five working days. Our Feedback and Complaints Procedure is available on request.

10.2    Complaints should be made in writing to the company head office found at www.pulhams.co.uk or be email to info@pulhamscoaches.com.

11      Payment

11.1    The parent or guardian is responsible for paying the full year’s fee regardless of personal circumstances such as, but not limited to, the student leaving the educational establishment, passing their driving test or using an alternative mode of transport.

11.2    Full or part payment prior to the start of the school term is required in order for a seat to be guaranteed, regardless of application, acceptance of price or any other correspondence relating the application.

11.3    Where two instalments is the chosen payment method, the ticket purchased will only be valid for travel until February half term, when the second instalment is due. Travel is only valid until this date and may be refused for non-payment. Where a QR code is purchased, a new QR code is issued once the second instalment is paid.

11.4    Where a Direct Debit is arranged, mandates must be returned by the stated deadline. QR codes will not be issued until the direct debit process has been successfully completed.

11.5    The parent or guardian is responsible for making all due and overdue payments by BACS until the Direct Debit process or Continuous Authority has been completed and activated. The full year fee is payable as detailed in section 8.2 above.

11.6    Where a Direct Debit or Continuous Authority payment fails, payment for the outstanding fees must be paid within 48 hours.

11.7    The Company reserves the right to refuse the payment option selected by the Parent/Guardian on application where previous agreements have been unfulfilled.

11.8    Where a Direct Debit or Continuous Authority payment fails, an additional admin charge £10.00 will be applicable if the Company are required to contact the parent or guardian to collect the outstanding balance.

11.9    Where a Direct Debit or Continuous Authority fails on more than one occasion, the parent or guardian will be required to pay the remainder of the fees in full by BACS in addition to additional administrative fees.

11.10  Failure to pay the required fees will result in the removal of school transport. Transport will be refused and QR codes will be de-activated.

11.11  The Company reserves the right to add interest at the rate of 2% per month above the base lending rate of Lloyds Bank from the date by which payment should have been made.

11.12  The Company reserve the right to refer unpaid accounts to County Court for judgement. Payment can be accepted by BACS transfer, debit card or credit card. We do not accept American Express.

11.13  Home to School Transport is zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax (VAT).

12      Terms and Conditions of Transport

12.1    These Terms and Conditions are subject to change without written notice.

 

 

v.21