5 Oct 2004

Southern coach firm goes the extra mile…

A LEADING Hampshire coach company has issued a free safety information guide for teachers organising school trips and tours.

Lucketts Travel, based in Fareham, produced the pack in response to an increased awareness of safety requirements on school trips, following a number of high profile incidents in the last few years.

The guide outlines the areas teachers need to be aware of when booking a coach for a school trip, and also a checklist of extra measures Lucketts has implemented.

Lucketts, which operates hundreds of coach trips every year, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Coachmarque’ standard by the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

The standard requires compliance with strict measures which include fitting seatbelts on all coaches used by schools, an excellent maintenance record and checking drivers are suitable to work with children.

The firm also conforms to recommended guidelines from the Department for Education and Skills, including appointing a dedicated school trips safety officer.

Managing director Ian Luckett said: “In order to minimise the possibility of things going wrong there is a legal and moral duty for schools to carry out risk assessments on all aspects of a school trip, including transport.”

He added: “Teachers and parents are finding this information useful because it clarifies grey areas sometimes associated with coach hire and safety.”

Schools can obtain their free information guide by calling Lucketts Travel on 01329 823755 or by visiting www.lucketts.co.uk.