NEWS
Top advice when hiring a coach
Mark Hodgson , managing director of Teesside ’ s Coatham Coaches , on choosing a coach or bus firm that will keep passengers safe .
Coatham Coaches prides itself on its fleet , drivers and back-office support . But we sometimes forget to celebrate some of the things we do really well , that some of our competitors don ’ t value above everything else . And they should ... they really should . In the coach and bus industry , being a good operator , above all , is demonstrating you ’ re a safe one .
We transport thousands of children and adults each day , and we want our passengers to know they are travelling in a well-maintained coach with a wellmanaged and trained driver .
Where schools have Ofsted , our performance metric is OCRS ( Operator Compliance Risk Score ). This is a score given to us by the DVSA ( Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency ) and is based on key areas like our MOT pass rates , roadside inspections , desk-based assessments and routine inspection visits . So , it ’ s all about how good we are at keeping our vehicles roadworthy and safe , and how well we manage our drivers ’ working time . Green is good , Amber is not so good , and Red is , erm , as it suggests , a red flag !
You would genuinely be shocked how many coach operators are in the traffic commissioner ’ s “ dock ” each year due to being found to be circumventing the laws , not inspecting vehicles and not ensuring drivers have sufficient rest periods .
But generally , you , as the customer , would never find out about a bad operator .
So what can you do to change that ? Ask for the information that is important : a ) Do they have a current OCRS report ? b ) Collect evidence of appropriate insurances . c ) Ask what management systems are in place to proactively manage drivers . d ) Ask if they have an independent external audit every year to check their
Safety – Coatham Coaches MD Mark Hodgson has issued important coach hire advice .
systems and records are robust . e ) Find out if they use technology such as AI cameras , that monitor driver behaviours , such as fatigue , distraction and tailgating . f ) Ask if their drivers are subject to daily alcohol checks before they start a shift . At Coatham , we do all the above as standard . So , if you ’ re not already a customer , let us tell you why you should be .
For more information , email info @ coathamcoaches . com or call 01287 652222 .
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