Frequently asked questions
Everything worth asking before you book.
Straight answers on quotes, vehicles, prices, drivers and what happens on the day. If yours is not here, call and ask — we would rather answer it now than have you find out later.
- Written quote back within two business hours
- NSW Transport accredited
- Drivers hold a current Working With Children Check
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The two rules that catch people out most often: 3-hour minimum hire on minibuses and people movers, and 4-hour minimum hire on midi-coaches and full-size coaches.
Quotes and booking
Getting a price and locking in a date
Start here if you have not enquired yet. These are the questions that decide whether you can put a number in front of somebody this week.
How do I get a quote?
Send the pick-up suburb, the travel date and roughly how many people are travelling — that is enough to start. Add the destination, the timings and any extra stops if you have them and the quote comes back tighter. You can use the form on any page, email the office, or call and we will take the details down for you.
How quickly will I hear back?
Enquiries received inside office hours are quoted the same business day, and most are back with you within two business hours. Anything sent overnight or on a weekend is picked up at the start of the next business day. If your date is inside a week, call rather than emailing — it is faster and we can tell you on the phone whether the vehicle is free.
Is the quote a fixed price or an estimate?
It is a fixed, written price for the itinerary you gave us, with the vehicle named and the inclusions listed. It is not a range. The only things that can change the final invoice are things you change — extra hours on the day, an added stop, or a variation you ask for after the quote is issued — and those are agreed before they happen.
How far in advance should I book?
Two to four weeks covers most jobs. Peak periods — December, race days, school excursion season, long weekends and the spring wedding run — book out four to eight weeks ahead, and Saturdays go first. If your date is already fixed, enquire as soon as you have it: we would rather hold a vehicle than tell you later that the size you needed is gone.
Can you take a booking at short notice?
Often, yes. Same-week and occasionally same-day work is possible when a vehicle and a driver are free, and we can usually tell you that straight away rather than calling you back. Call rather than emailing for anything inside seven days.
How do I confirm a booking?
Accept the written quote and pay the deposit, and the date and the vehicle come out of the diary and go against your name. You will get a booking confirmation with the itinerary on it. Account clients with approved terms confirm against a purchase order instead and are invoiced afterwards.
Can I change the trip after I have booked?
Yes, and the earlier the better. Adjusting times, adding a stop or moving numbers within the same vehicle is usually straightforward. Changing to a different vehicle size depends on availability for your date. Every change is reissued in writing so the agreed price and the agreed itinerary always match.
Vehicles and group size
Choosing the right bus
The vehicle decides the rate, so this is where most of the money is won or lost. Tell us what is travelling as well as who.
What size vehicles do you have?
From a seven-seat Mercedes V-Class people mover through minibuses at eleven to twenty-four seats, midi-coaches at twenty-seven, and full-size coaches at forty-one, fifty to fifty-seven and sixty seats. Groups of sixty-one or more travel as a coordinated convoy of two or more coaches, planned on one run sheet with staggered loading.
How do I know which vehicle I need?
Count the passengers, then tell us what they are bringing. Seat count alone can be misleading: a group of twenty-two with a suitcase each needs a vehicle with a luggage bay, not just twenty-two seats. Send us both numbers and we will name the vehicle in the quote rather than leaving you to guess.
What if my numbers change before the day?
Moving up or down inside the same vehicle costs nothing — tell us and we will note it on the run sheet. Crossing into a different vehicle size means we requote, subject to what is available for your date. Because the rate is for the whole vehicle rather than per seat, a few cancellations do not reduce the price.
How much luggage can we bring?
It depends on the vehicle. People movers and standard minibuses carry cabin bags and a few cases in the rear; high-roof minibuses have a dedicated luggage bay; midi-coaches and full-size coaches have underfloor bays that take a case per passenger. Sporting gear, instruments and display equipment need to be mentioned when you enquire so the load is sized properly.
Do the buses have seat belts and air conditioning?
Air conditioning is standard across the fleet. Seat belts are fitted across the vehicles we assign to school and youth work, and we confirm the specific vehicle in your written quote. If seat belts are a requirement of your booking — many schools mandate them — say so when you enquire and it goes on the run sheet.
Can we see the vehicle before we book?
Yes. For larger bookings, tenders and school procurement, call ahead and we will have the vehicle type on the ground at our depot for you to inspect. It is a reasonable thing to ask and we would rather you did.
Prices and payment
What it costs and how you pay
Published rates, honest inclusions and no line on the invoice you did not agree to first.
How is bus hire priced?
By the hour, for the whole vehicle, with the driver included — from the depot departure to the return. An airport or point-to-point run can instead be quoted as one fixed transfer fare for the route — ask for it with your quote. Our indicative hourly rates are published in full on the bus hire cost page so you can budget before you speak to anyone.
Is there a minimum hire period?
Yes — three hours for minibuses and people movers, four hours for midi-coaches and full-size coaches, when you book the vehicle by time. An airport or point-to-point run can instead be quoted as one fixed transfer fare for the route, and a fare quoted that way is not charged at a minimum.
What is included in the price?
Driver, fuel, vehicle insurance and GST are in every quote. Tolls, parking and venue access fees, driver accommodation on multi-day trips, public-holiday and after-hours loading, and waiting time beyond the booked window are itemised and confirmed with you before they are charged, so nothing appears on the final invoice that you did not agree to first.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
A deposit confirms the date and takes the vehicle out of the diary; the balance is due before travel. Account clients with approved terms are invoiced instead. The exact amounts and dates are set out in your written quote, so there is nothing to work out on the day.
What is your cancellation policy?
The cancellation terms for your booking are set out in your written quote, so you know what applies before you accept it. Cancellations are made in writing to the office, and the date and time we receive your notice is the date it takes effect. Nothing in them limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
Can we open an account and be invoiced?
Yes. Schools, councils, corporates and event agencies that book regularly can open an account with monthly invoicing and purchase-order references on every job. Standing work — weekly staff shuttles, term-length school runs, repeating event loops — is priced across the whole schedule rather than trip by trip.
Drivers and safety
Who is driving, and what is behind them
The questions a school office, a WHS officer or a venue will ask you before they sign off on the transport.
Are you accredited, and can I see the paperwork?
We hold operator accreditation for passenger transport in New South Wales and carry public liability cover. Certificates and a certificate of currency can be issued to your organisation on request — ask when you enquire and they come with the quote rather than at the last minute.
Do your drivers have Working With Children Checks?
Every driver assigned to a school or youth booking holds a current NSW Working With Children Check as well as a Driver Authority. We can supply the check numbers to your school office before the day so they can be verified against the register.
Are you a broker or do you own the buses?
We own the vehicles and employ the drivers. That is why we can name the vehicle at quoting time rather than on the morning, and why the office can tell you what is happening on the day without ringing a third party first.
What happens if a bus breaks down?
If a vehicle fails we arrange a replacement and keep you informed while it is on its way. Tell the driver or call the office as soon as you notice a problem and we will confirm what is coming and when.
How do you manage driver fatigue on long days?
Long days, late finishes and multi-day charters are planned around the rest breaks the law requires, and those breaks are built into the run sheet at quoting time rather than discovered on the road. For very long itineraries this can mean a second driver, which is priced into the quote up front.
On the day
How the trip actually runs
What you will have in your hand the day before, and what to expect once the coach is on the road.
How will I know who my driver is?
The driver's name, mobile number and the vehicle registration are emailed to you the day before you travel. On the day you can call the driver directly, and the operations line is there as well if you cannot reach them.
How early does the bus arrive?
Drivers aim to be at the pick-up point about ten to fifteen minutes before the booked departure so the group can load without rushing. That allowance is inside the booked time, not on top of it.
What if we run late or the day runs over?
Tell the driver as soon as you know. A short overrun is usually absorbed; a longer one is charged as overtime at the hourly rate, and the driver will tell you before the clock starts rather than after. If the delay is caused by something outside your control we will work it out sensibly.
Can we add a stop on the day?
Usually, if it fits inside the booked window and the driver's hours allow it. Ask the driver, who will call the office if it changes the schedule. Anything that extends the booking is confirmed with you before it is added.
Where can the coach legally stop?
Not everywhere, particularly in the CBD, the eastern beaches and around schools at bell times. We confirm a legal, workable stopping point before the day and put it on the run sheet, so the group is not left on the wrong side of a busy road.
Do you travel interstate or overnight?
Yes. Multi-day and interstate charters are quoted per itinerary and include the driver's accommodation and the mandated rest breaks, which we build into the schedule rather than leaving to chance. Canberra, the Hunter, the Southern Highlands and the South Coast are regular runs for us.
On board
Access, food, drink and conduct
The specifics worth flagging when you enquire, so the right vehicle is assigned and nobody is surprised at the door.
Are wheelchair-accessible vehicles available?
Yes, we operate wheelchair-equipped vehicles with hoists. Tell us the number of wheelchair positions when you enquire so the right vehicle is assigned and loading time is allowed in the schedule. There is no separate access charge — the effect is on vehicle choice and the length of the booking.
Can we bring food and drink on board?
Food and non-alcoholic drinks are fine on all vehicles. We ask that rubbish leaves with the group. Alcohol is permitted on private function bookings by prior arrangement only, and never on school or youth charters.
Is smoking or vaping allowed?
No. Smoking and vaping are prohibited by law on all passenger vehicles, including any onboard toilet. Drivers will stop for a break where the schedule allows.
Do the coaches have toilets, USB charging or a PA?
It varies by vehicle. Midi-coaches and full-size coaches carry a PA system, our touring coaches offer restroom options and USB charging, and minibuses generally have neither. If any of these matter for your trip, say so when you enquire and the quote will name a vehicle that has them.
What if a passenger damages the vehicle?
The person who made the booking is responsible for damage caused by their group, and any cleaning or repair cost is charged at cost with the evidence supplied. It is rare, and it is written into the terms so that everyone knows where they stand before the trip rather than after it.
Keep reading
Pages that answer the rest
Still have a question?
Ask it, or just send the trip
You do not need every detail settled to enquire. Send what you know and put the open questions in the notes — we will answer them in the quote.
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Tell us about the journey and we will help with the vehicle.
No obligation. Every quote includes the driver, fuel and GST.
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