The
Company
How long has it been
in business? Lakeside has
been in business as sole trader, partnership and incorporated
form for approaching 28 years. Lakeside Coaches Limited is registered at companies house as
Company No. 04370527
How big is it? Lakeside
Coaches Limted according to the Companies Act 1985 is at
the upper end of the Small Companies bracket, otherwise
it is considered a medium sized coach company. Therefore
customers get the best of both worlds, as they benefit from
the service of a small company, backed up by the resources,
skills base and technology of a larger company.
The
Vehicle
How old is the coach? We are proud of our fleet
age profile, with c.95% being under 10 years old.
What type of vehicle
is best? We are able to provide
coaches with a range of specifications from standard to
executive, depending upon the customers needs.
Does the operator provide
a range of vehicles? We can
provide coaches of both varying specifications and sizes.
Safety
and The Law
Does the company comply
with drivers hours regulations?
1. Drivers duties are arranged
such that they should not breech the regulations.
2. Procedures are clearly
stated in our Code of Conduct to prevent breech of regulations
and it also highlights that this is a serious matter.
3. We encourage the customer
to fully disclose their proposed itinery to us well in advance
so that we can devise a route/schedule that will prevent
a breech of regulations.
4. We voluntarily analyse all our drivers tachograph records using our own digital and analogue readers actually in-house. This allows us to ensure compliance and recognise problems before they occur.
Any
Special Requirements You May Have
What if events make
it necessary to change route details or times? As
always the customer should inform us well in advance of
alterations, however sometimes a price alteration accordingly
will occur if the journey is changed.
Any Special Needs? Unfortunately we do not operate
wheelchair accessible vehicles, however should the need
arise then we would only be too happy to put you in touch
with a specialist coach operator in this field. Otherwise
we will aim to accomodate any other specific needs you should
have.
The
Staff
What are the standards
of staff training? At least
2 management staff hold the Certificate of Professional
Competence, all coach drivers are trained to minimum DVLA
category D or D1 standard. We hold regular training sessions in our our own training room on manual handling and drivers hours compliance. Also some members of staff have
attended disability awareness, first aid
and health & safety courses.
What about unseen staff? All our office staff have years of experience and are
trained to a high standard. All vehicle maintenance is outsourced
and is carried out off site by Russell Williams & Sons
Commercial Vehicle Repairs and at Vehicle Main Dealers,
with which we have long standing relationships. All maintenance
though is scheduled and monitored by our management team.
Who is paying for the
drivers accomodation? Should an overnight stay be required,
then it is usually the responsibility of the customer to
provide or pay for accomodation for the driver, this will
be made clear when a quotation is given.
The
Back-Up
Can they deal with emergencies? All drivers and customers are backed up by the office
team during the day and the on call manager out of office
hours. Should a problem occur then it can be dealt with
swiftly, we usually have spare vehicles and drivers on call
to provide back up. Also we can summon the help of other
operators nationwide or in Europe and also the Confederation
of Passenger Transport of which we are members.
Is there a guarantee
in the event of breakdown? Although rare, we aim to
deal with all breakdowns promptly and in a professional
manner. The on call manager will make the decision as to
whether to dispatch a replacement coach or arrange rapid
repair of the vehicle affected, so that the party can continue
with their journey without further delay.
Check
It Out
Can I look around your
vehicles and premises? Of course, we are very proud
of our fleet and we welcome visits from customers. You are
welcome to take a guided tour of our vehicles, during which
comfort and safety features can be demonstrated. Please
arrange visits in advance though to ensure there is a vehicle
of the same size or specification you require at the depot
when you visit.
What about references? References from customers are available on request.
The schools, sports and corporate hospitality pages of this
website include examples of many satisfied customers.
Is insurance in place
and valid licences held? All our vehicles are covered
by a fully comprehensive insurance policy, we also have
public liability and employers liability insurance in place.
All drivers are qualified to at least the minimum DVLA standard
for the vehicle they are driving. We hold an International
Public Service Vehicle Operators Licence No. PD1020869.
NB. Lakeside Coaches Limted
is not a member of the Guild of British Coach Operators,
this page merely demonstrates how we aim to meet their principles.
