Latest Service Announcements & News

Last Updated: Thursday 14th January 2021 @ 11:46.

 

 

Temporary Changes To School Bus Services Until 22nd February 2021.

 

Following the announcement of the lockdown in England by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on 4th January, our network of dedicated school bus services to Denmark Road High School, Pates Grammar School, Sir Thomas Rich’s School and Winchcombe School has been suspended, until at least Monday 22^nd February 2021. Instead we are offering a demand responsive bus service for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children.

 

Who is eligible to use the demand responsive bus service?

 

This service is only available to children of critical workers and vulnerable children, who are holders of either a Marchants school bus pass or Gloucestershire County Council school bus pass. Single or day return fares are not available or accepted, as stated in our terms and conditions published on our website. Please click here for further details.

 

The Government has defined vulnerable children, young people and critical workers as the following:

 

Vulnerable children and young people include those who:

 

• are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child

• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan

• have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:

• children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s service

• adopted children or children on a special guardianship order

• those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’

• those living in temporary accommodation

• those who are young carers

• those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)

• care leavers

• others at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils and students who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health

 

Critical workers

                                                                                                        

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections.

 

Health and social care

 

This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

 

Education and childcare

 

This includes:

• childcare

• support and teaching staff

• social workers

• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach

 

Key public services

 

This includes:

• those essential to the running of the justice system

• religious staff

• charities and workers delivering key frontline services

• those responsible for the management of the deceased

• journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

 

Local and national government

 

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of:

• the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, and the delivery of and response to EU transition

• essential public services, such as the payment of benefits and the certification or checking of goods for import and export (including animal products, animals, plants and food), including in government agencies and arm’s length bodies

 

Food and other necessary goods

 

This includes those involved in food:

• production

• processing

• distribution

• sale and delivery

• as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)

 

Public safety and national security

 

This includes:

• police and support staff

• Ministry of Defence civilians

• contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and EU transition)

• fire and rescue service employees (including support staff)

• National Crime Agency staff

• those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas

 

Transport and border

 

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and EU transition, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure through which supply chains pass.

 

Utilities, communication and financial services

 

This includes:

• staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)

• the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)

• information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response

• key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services)

• postal services and delivery

• payments providers

• waste disposal sectors

 

How does the demand responsive bus service work?

 

To use this service you will need to inform us via email only to hometoschool@marchants-coaches.com before 09:30am the previous working day, of your requirements as defined below. 

• For travel on a Monday notification is required by no later than 09:30 on Friday.

• For travel on a Tuesday notification is required by no later than 09:30 on Monday.

• For travel on a Wednesday notification  is required by no later than 09:30 on Tuesday.

• For travel on a Thursday notification is required by no later than 09:30 on Wednesday.

• For travel on a Friday notification is required by no later than 09:30 on Thursday.

Please note requests for travel after this time will not be sanctioned. Please do not contact us if you do not need transport

 

Please provide us with the following information:-

• Childs Name

• Route Number

• Bus stop location

• AM only, PM only or both journeys

 

Once we have received this information you will be sent a confirmation email confirming your request with the pick-up time from the Bus Stop Location, regrettably, this is non-negotiable.

 

Will I be entitled to a refund if we don’t use the demand responsive bus service?

 

The Government has announced all schools in England will remain closed until at least 22^nd February 2021, although this may be extended. No decision has been made in regards to refunds of school bus passes, however, parents/carers of children who have used our demand response bus service will not be entitled to any refund if the service has been used on one or more occasions during the period 4^th January 2021 – 21^st February 2021.

 

A statement of intention will be released once further information on the duration of the school closures becomes available.

 

We hope this information will provide some clarity of the current situation. If you require any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Regular updates will be made on our Facebook and Twitter platforms.

 

We thank you for you continued custom, support and understanding during these uncertain times.

 

 

Our COVID-19 Safety Measures On Our Dedicated School Bus Services.

 

For seating plans and the latest updates on our Coronavirus travel guidance, please click here.