Terms and conditions for a minibus and coach operator

Coach hire is a contract with one organiser on behalf of a group who have not read it. The terms have to make the organiser responsible for the group, fix the itinerary against the legal limits on driving hours, deal with luggage, damage and behaviour, and set a cancellation scale for a booking that may have been made a season ahead. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Minibus and coach operators in England and Wales, licensed to carry passengers for hire under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, serving schools, sports clubs, businesses, tour groups and private parties, with customers who may be consumers or businesses depending on who books.

What matters in coach hire terms

The organiser and the group

The person who books is your customer and the terms should make them responsible for the whole group: for the passengers' conduct, for damage they cause, for the accuracy of numbers and for ensuring the group is ready at the agreed times. Where the organiser books for a business, a school or a club, the business is the customer and consumer cancellation rules do not apply; where an individual books a private party, regulation 27 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 excludes passenger transport services from the cancellation right in any event.

Itineraries, driving hours and changes

Drivers are subject to legal limits on driving and working time under the assimilated Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 and Part VI of the Transport Act 1968, and an itinerary that breaks them cannot be run. The terms should say that the itinerary is agreed in advance, that changes on the day are at the driver's discretion within those limits, that late departures may shorten the day, and that additional mileage, waiting time and a second driver are charged where a change requires them.

Deposits, cancellation and payment

The terms should set a deposit, a balance due before travel and a cancellation scale that increases towards the date and reflects what you lose, which must be fair where the customer is a consumer. Business customers should be invoiced with interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Tolls, parking and driver accommodation on multi-day hires should be stated as included or as extras.

Conduct, alcohol, damage and children

The terms should give the driver the right to refuse or eject a passenger who is abusive or unsafe and to terminate the hire if the group's behaviour makes it unsafe to continue, with no refund. Alcohol on board should be prohibited unless you allow it, seat belts must be worn where fitted, as the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations 1993 require, and damage and soiling is charged to the organiser at cost. School and youth groups need a section on adult supervision ratios and the driver's role, which is to drive, not to supervise.

Breakdown, delays and liability

The terms should say that you will use reasonable care to run to time and provide a replacement vehicle where one fails, that delays from traffic, weather and road closures are outside your control, and that your liability for the customer's losses, such as missed events or connections, is limited to the hire price. That limit is what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 permits for a service; liability for injury caused by your negligence cannot be excluded and the terms should not try.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

The group wanted to stay an extra two hours and the driver refused. Were we right?

If the extra time would have taken the driver over the legal limits, the refusal was required, not a choice, and the terms should say that changes are subject to those limits. Where the limits allow, the terms should charge the extra time and mileage.

A passenger was sick on the coach. Who pays for the cleaning?

The organiser, under the terms, at the stated cleaning charge. The terms should make the organiser responsible for the group's conduct and for damage and soiling however caused by passengers.

Do school bookings need anything different?

A section on supervision: the school provides adults responsible for the pupils, the driver's role is to drive, and the school is the business customer, invoiced on account with statutory interest on late payment.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a chauffeur and executive car business

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.