If you would like to hire one of our minibuses, please read our terms and conditions. For more information please contact Tom Ryan.
These terms and conditions have been updated in response to the current COVID-19 epidemic. Although you may already be a SCCT member and signed terms and conditions when you joined our membership, these terms and conditions must be signed again to use a SCCT minibus on a self-drive during the COVID-19 period. Failure to do so will result in SCCT being unable to allow you the use of a SCCT minibus.
Eligibility
To comply with SCCT insurance policy you must meet the following criteria.
- You must be aged between 25 and 70 and hold a valid UK driver’s licence.
- You must have a D1 category on your licence for at least 12 months.
- You must have no more than 6 penalty points on your driver’s licence.
- You must have an up to date and valid membership with SCCT.
- You must read, agree and sign the terms and conditions
- Agree to the GDPR statement.
- Your driver’s licence must be up to date, valid and a copy will be taken each time you hire one of our vehicles, prior to you taking our vehicle.
- A Passenger list must be provided to SCCT office prior to taking the minibus.
If you do not meet the above criteria in full then SCCT cannot allow you to drive a SCCT minibus.
Membership
You must be a member of SCCT to be able to use our minibuses for self-drive purposes.
SCCT membership costs £15.00 and lasts for 12 months, providing terms and conditions of hire continue to be met. These terms and conditions may be subject to change as per Government, Community Transport Association and SCCT Management legislation and policies dictate.
Minibus usage
By signing these terms and conditions you are confirming that you will not be using our vehicle for any activity that is for hire or reward purposes. We do not provide minibuses on a self-drive to attend Festivals of any kind. If it is ascertained that our minibus has been used for such an activity your membership will be terminated with immediate effect and your deposit will be retained by SCCT.
Only the named person on our booking sheets and these terms and conditions are eligible to drive our minibuses during the term of the hire period. If more than one person will be required to drive the minibus during the period of hire, then they must meet eligibility criteria as stated above and sign a set of these terms and conditions and become a member of SCCT.
Because of COVID-19 members must adhere to current Government, CTA and SCCT Management, legislation and policies and current restrictions in situ at time of hire. A failure to follow these rules and restrictions will result in an immediate termination of this membership and may result in legal or criminal prosecution by outside agencies e.g., the Police.
Minibus booking & costs
As a charity SCCT does not make a profit on the services we provide. Any prices that we charge our members are to cover the running costs of our vehicles and organisation only.
Our minibuses are available for self-drive hire in 24 hour blocks and are available Monday to Thursday. We also offer a weekend hire rate and this hire period commences at 16:00hrs Friday and ends at 09:00hrs on a Monday. If your require a minibus for longer than a 24 hour period or outside the weekend hire period times, please contact the office so we can offer you an affordable price which will meet your self-drive requirements.
Please note that we would expect a £25.00 booking fee to secure a self-drive hire (this amount will be deducted from the hire fee). Should you fail to advise us that you are cancelling the booking then we will retain the booking fee.
The driver is responsible for the purchase of their own fuel to cover the cost of their trip during the self-drive hire period, and they should also return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel that it left our premises with. For example, if the minibus leaves our premises with half a tank of fuel it must return to our premises with half a tank of fuel.
For further information please contact Tom Ryan on 0151 703 0007 (mobile 07856789313) or send an e-mail to scct03@aol.com
Before you take the minibus.
Before a minibus leaves our premises, the member needs to pay for the self-hire period plus £250.00 deposit (and membership fee if it’s the first time of hire or the start of a new membership year). We require a £250.00 deposit as this covers the excess on our SCCT fleet insurance policy so if the minibus is involved in an accident whilst on a self-drive then this will be forwarded to our insurance brokers to cover the excess charge.
Prior to the minibus leaving our garage both the member and our Transport Officer will complete a walk around of the bus to identify if there is any damage that may exist, and these will be recorded. This walk around will be completed again once the vehicle is returned and if it is noted that damage has been sustained during the self-drive hire period, SCCT have the right to withhold your £250.00 deposit to carry out repairs and to cover any repairs and/or loss of revenue whilst the vehicle is of the road.
During the walk around prior to the vehicle leaving SCCT, a record of the fuel gage will be recorded, this check will then be carried out when the vehicle is returned and If is ascertained that the fuel level is lower, following the period of self-hire SCCT will request that the member reimburses the company for the fuel. If the member refuses to do this then any monies owed will be deducted from the £250.00 deposit and SCCT will have the right to terminate membership with immediate effect.
As a courtesy before leaving the garage we would be grateful if you could advise SCCT where you are planning to take the minibus – you must however inform us if your journey will cross any toll roads/toll bridges/tunnels or an area’s where there is a congestion charge and if they are of a pre-paid nature (e.g., pay before you cross) so these payments can be paid prior to the vehicle leaving our premises. If you can pay any tolls at the toll stations, please keep your receipts as proof of payment should they be required. All are vehicles include telematic devices which will be checked prior to your deposit being returned to you and if it is ascertained that you have drove to an area that requires a toll payment, we will ask to see proof of payment. If SCCT receives a fine due to unpaid tolls that incur during the self-hire period, the member is fully liable for the cost of the fine. If the member refuses to pay these then any monies will be deducted from £250 deposit if this is still being held by SCCT or we will seek compensation for this debt via a debt recovery agency, which will incur greater costs to the member. If this situation occurs, then your membership with SCCT will be terminated.
A passenger list must be provided to SCCT staff prior to the member taking the minibus. SCCT can not allow the minibus to leave the garage without this list.
If SCCT receives any fines for speeding, reckless driving, or complaints whilst you are using our vehicle on a self-drive, we will forward your details to the relevant parties i.e., DVLA and/or police.
During the Covid-19 pandemic and any restrictions that are in situ at the time of hiring our vehicles, it is the responsibility of the member to ensure that all government policies, guidance, and legislation must be adhered to by both the member and their passengers – failure to follow these may result in termination of membership and criminal prosecution. SCCT will not be held responsible for any breaches of Government policies, guidelines, legislation, or restrictions made by the member or their passengers and details of members will be forwarded to relevant parties.
Whilst the minibus is in your care
All Minibuses are speed restricted by law to 62mph and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain a safe speed limit and observe the legal speed limit on all roads. If It is found that the legal speed limits are not observed it is SCCT’s right to confiscate the minibus and deny any future membership, if any fines occur then members details will be forwarded to relevant parties e.g., DVLA and/or police.
It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that all passengers remain seated and wear a seatbelt whilst the minibus is in motion. THIS IS THE LAW.
The driver and passengers must display reasonable behaviour and not cause any danger to other passengers, the driver and other road users. The member and all passengers on the minibus must remember that they are representing SCCT as they are in a SCCT minibus and if SCCT receives any complaints or observations from a member of the public about poor behaviour in any way from either the driver or passengers then SCCT has the right to terminate the membership.
There is strictly no smoking or drinking of alcohol on the minibus at any time. The driver must not attempt to drive our minibus if he is under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. THIS IS THE LAW. Drivers must also ensure that they do not take any medication that may have a detrimental effect on their driving ability when using our minibuses.
Whilst a SCCT minibus is in the care of the membership holder(driver) it is expected that it will be treated in the same way they would their own vehicle.
During COVID-19 all SCCT minibuses are fogged and thoroughly sanitized before use and again on return.
The driver is responsible for sanitizing all grab rails and door handles at regular intervals during self-drive use.
All passengers (including the driver) must sanitize their hands before entering the minibus.
The driver is responsible for ensuring that the only passengers that are carried on the minibus are those who’s names are on the passenger list that is provided to SCCT staff prior to taking the minibus. Please contact a member of staff should your passenger list change.
When the minibus is returned
If a minibus is returned any later than the agreed return time, a late fee will be applied and will be deducted from £250 deposit. SCCT will have the right to terminate your membership with immediate effect.
The minibus must be returned clean and fit for purpose, if there is any alcohol, bodily fluids or vomit on the minibus then a cleaning fee will be charged and deducted from your deposit.
As indicated above, the minibus must be returned with the same level of fuel as it left the garage with, as noted on the sheet.
As indicated in terms and conditions “before you take the minibus”, a walk around check will be completed on the return of the minibus. If any damage is identified that has occurred whilst in the members use, then the deposit of £250.00 will be withheld to pay for any repairs, loss of revenue or if the fee is requested by the insurance provider as part of the excess.
If any of the above terms and conditions are breached then SCCT has the right to terminate the membership.
.
South Central Community Transport 