Why Leasing a Minibus Is Always Better Than Buying
07 May 2018
For teachers, it’s a becoming an ever greater privilege to provide their students with the opportunity for a school trip. Getting the chance for some off-site learning and memory making can be hugely beneficial for all.
Yet, with significant budget cuts across the board, it can be difficult to work even an annual field trip into the school budget. Pockets are shallow, fundraising efforts can only accomplish so much, and it’s always a challenge to come up with transportation solutions that are good for students and the administration.
Private schools and those with access to capital may be able to afford to buy their own minibus for such trips. However, most schools are looking to cut costs at every possible opportunity, not increase them with a huge upfront investment or monthly loan.
For the amount that a minibus would be used in the average school, hiring one makes a lot more sense both economically and practically. Taking out a lease not only eliminates the initial costs of purchasing, but also many continual expenses as well — things like insurance, licensing, maintenance, and annual inspections that add up to large sums over time.
The reality is, with a rental, there are no additional long-term costs or budget-draining surprises to consider — just the same, fixed daily, weekly, or monthly fee.
Along with the obvious benefit of cost, there are several other of the major benefits of leasing over buying a minibus for your school.
The transport option for savvy schools
Despite what many may think when leasing a minibus for a school trip, it’s incredibly easy for a teacher or nominated driver to make sure their license permits them to drive the specific class of vehicle. In many cases, they don’t have to do anything, but worst case scenario they undergo a quick test to update their license. The key is working with a minibus leasing company that specialises in transport for schools and educational institutions — that way, all your doubts, and queries will be put to bed right away.
Leasing also offers the benefit of allowing you to choose the size of minibus according to the number of students you’re taking on a particular trip. The type of bus you choose can also be affected by the duration of the trip and the terrain you’ll be travelling on. Talking about the type of trip you’re taking, there’s also no need to worry about storage space or extra liability insurance when using a leasing service. And, as mentioned above, you don’t have to deal with all maintenance and care that would be put upon minibus owners. That means not only avoiding the costs, but also the burden of having to keep an eye on everything like tires, brakes, shocks, and batteries to ensure they don’t fall into disrepair and you don’t end up losing too much money on your purchase.
The implications of all these benefits of leasing over buying a minibus are clear. But perhaps one that is not so obvious and yet hugely impactful, is that the less time you spend on worrying about transport issues, the more time and energy you’ll have to concentrate on the students and ensure the trip itself goes exactly how you planned it to.
Back to Blog listings