SMC Terms and Conditions for Home to School Transport

 

At Skills Motor Coaches Limited we aim to operate a reputable and reliable service and by extension we require our passengers to conduct themselves and to behave in an appropriate manner whilst on board our services. These Terms and Conditions set out the details of the contract between you and Skills  Motor Coaches Limited and our contractual commitments to one another. By purchasing a space on our contracted services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, and Skills Motor Coaches Limited reserve the right to report any passenger who will not comply with them to the relevant party and begin discussions to refuse future travel to the offending party.

 

The contract will be between Skills Motor Coaches and the parent or guardian (you) who is paying for our services. By making a booking through our SMC Pass Portal (“the Portal”) or the ‘Search My Coach’ application (“the App”) you confirm that you have read these Terms and Conditions in their entirety any that you agree to be bound by them.

 

1. Authority to Travel

• In order to use any service, you must purchase a valid unique QR Code through the Portal or the App, prior to travel. The QR Code may be downloaded to a smart card; or may be printed as a single-use QR paper pass or downloaded to your App.

• A valid QR Code must be scanned when boarding using our ticket machines.

• Lost Smart Cards must be immediately reported to Skills Motor Coaches Limited - a charge of £5.00 will be levied for any replacement card.

• Skills Motor Coaches Limited will report any passenger who attempts to manipulate the Portal, App or any QR Code to the school.

• You agree that passengers booked on a service will be named on the vehicle smart ticket system.

• A pupil not holding a valid QR Code will be permitted to travel and a report will be made to the school. The cost of any transport will be invoiced to the relevant parent or guardian at the current daily rate for travel on the service used.

 

2. Seatbelts

• It is a legal requirement that all passengers wear seat belts whilst travelling on any of the Skills Motor Coaches Limited. Services.

• Drivers are not permitted to assist children with putting on or removing seat belts.

 

3. Timetables

• Buses will run to a strict timetable allowing of a 5-minutes margin for arrivals at stops and destinations. Subject to the remainder of these Terms and Conditions, every service will operate on every day required by the timetable.

• Services will depart from each bus stop at the timetabled departure time.

• In the event that a route, service or particular bus stop is to be terminated, Skills Motor Coaches Limited will provide no less than 6-weeks’ notice of the termination date.

• Where a service is terminated Skills Motor Coaches Limited will make proper arrangements for the repayment of any unused travel charges following termination.

• Passengers may only travel on the service they have booked and paid for, and no other service.

 

4. Passenger Behaviour

• Pupils are bound by the school’s own behaviour policy and by these Terms and Conditions.

• No person will be removed from any vehicle for any reason, except at the direction of a police officer or the emergency services or in order to protect the safety and well-being of any passenger.

• In the event that a passenger commits an act of serious misconduct or commits repeated acts of lesser misconduct, the school and Skills Motor Coaches Limited will, in consultation, consider whether to disallow any future travel to that passenger. A refusal to allow further travel may be temporary or permanent and any unused travel charges held by Skills Motor Coaches will not be repaid to a passenger.

• Misconduct by pupils will be reported to the school immediately and any sanctions will be dealt with by the school. Misconduct includes failing to remain seated whilst using a service.

• No person shall smoke, use any vaping device or other such item whilst on board any service

• Pupils below the age of 11 years should sit near to the front of the vehicle.

 

5. Parents and Guardians

• Parents and Guardians are not permitted to accompany pupils for travel or to board any bus except with the written permission of the school or Skills Motor Coaches Limited. Permission will only be given in cases of pupil-assistance.

• We ask that parents do not direct any complaints to our drivers. Instead, they should contact Skills  Motor Coaches Limited SMC booking team on smc.bookings@skills.co.uk or on 0115 9770 080.

• All complaints will be acknowledged within one working day of it being received and raised to investigation. Investigations will be resolved as soon as possible.

 

6. Travel Charge Structure

• Travel charges are set by the school and are reviewed annually.

• Travel can only be booked on an annual basis or for daily ad hoc travel.

• Payment may be by a single annual payment or by instalments. Instalments will be taken automatically prior to the beginning of each term , by deduction from a payment card the details of which have been recorded by Skills Motor Coaches Limited for the purpose.

• Failed payments carry an administrative charge of £25.00. Only three attempts will be made to collect a payment. If the third collection attempt fails the instalment plan will be cancelled and all outstanding charges will immediately fall due.

• Once travel is booked and paid for, no repayment of unused travel will be permitted unless a refund is approved by the school.

• You must notify us in writing immediately you become aware of a need to make any changes to your booking. Skills Motor Coaches Limited will endeavour to accommodate any change but cannot guarantee compliance. An administration charge of £10.00 will be levied change if a change in any booking results in a lesser charge being due.

• Travel charges are calculated:

on an annual basis and there will be no reduction for any periods where transport is not required e.g., holidays or sickness, or for snow days, vehicle breakdown, late-running, school closure, or any unplanned early finish; and- to account for the reduction in the length of term occasioned by the exam period.

 

7. Our commitment to safety

• Every driver employed to drive a bus providing these services will be subject to enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and certificate upon commencement of employment and every three years thereafter*.

• Skills Motor Coaches Limited will conduct a full audited risk assessment for each vehicle, route and stop on an annual basis.

• Vehicles will meet the Driver and Vehicle Services Agency required standards and will comply with all relevant legislation. Vehicles will be clean and in good condition.

 

*Some schools/colleges require these checks to be carried out at intervals of 12 or 24 months.             

 

8. Personal Data

• You must promptly inform Skills  Motor Coaches Limited of any changes to names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses and of any physical requirements.

• In providing your personal data to us, you give your consent for us to record and retain it, to use it in all subsequent correspondence between us and you and for us to disclose it to your school, the police and to other parties as the law requires.

• You can view our privacy policy on our website at https://www.skills.co.uk/Privacy-Policy

 

9. Personal Property **

• Skills Motor Coaches Limited cannot accept any responsibility for lost property.

• All lost property will be logged and stored for four weeks through our lost property department. If you wish to arrange collection of an item, please contact our lost property department.

• Any items unclaimed will be disposed of after four weeks and either destroyed or sent to charity.

• Our lost property department operates between 09.00AM -17.00 Monday to Friday. Please arrange collections prior to arriving at the depot.

 

** Please contact your school/college if other arrangements are required.

 

10. Damage to Vehicles

• Where a vehicle is damaged because of vandalism, we will seek to recover the full cost of repairs from the parent or guardian of any passenger or pupil responsible for any damage.

 

11. Unforeseen Issues with the Service

• Vehicle locations will be shown in real-time on the App. In the event of any delay passengers should consult with the App for current information.

• Skills Motor Coaches Limited will provide updated information on the App as necessary to ensure the safety of waiting passengers.

• In the event of breakdown or substantial delay Skills Motor Coaches Limited will provide a replacement service.

• In the event of App failure or if there is no access to the App you should telephone Skills Motor Coaches Limited on 0115 9777426 for travel updates.

 

12 Adverse Weather Conditions

• In the event that Skills Motor Coaches Limited are informed of school closure we will send out a push notification to the App.

• Skills Motor Coaches Limited will continue to operate services through bad weather, subject to safety requirements.

 

13. Complaints Procedure

• Complaints should be directed to: smc.bookings@skills.co.uk

 

Emails will be responded to within two working days of receipt.

 

14 Force Majeure

• Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” to change or terminate your route. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

• Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or any supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, whether actual or threatened, war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather condition, fire, pandemic, and all similar events outside of our control.