School Tour Transport, Planned Around the School Day
A school tour raises three transport questions in a fixed order: is the vehicle compliant for children, has the driver been vetted, and does the timetable get everyone back before the bell. Settle all three before confirming.
Compliance to confirm in writing
Every child carried on the bus needs a belt or restraint of their own. Anyone aged 3 or over must wear one where fitted and must be told of that requirement, so have a teacher repeat the announcement before the bus moves.
Any operator taking 9 or more paying passengers must hold a Road Passenger Transport Operator Licence. Separately, driving a bus reserved for children counts as relevant work, so Garda vetting applies. Both are obligations on the operator. Ask for confirmation of each alongside the quote.
Regulations that apply
- Driving a public service vehicle used only to carry children is relevant work that needs Garda vetting
Working back from the gate
Start with the collection time at the school gate and plan backwards. Brú na Bóinne is about 15 minutes from Drogheda, but the tombs themselves are served only by the site shuttle, and a party of 15 to 30 has to pre-book a group time. The slot sets the day, not the drive.
Kilkenny Castle has coach parking on the east side of Castle Road, with overflow at Larchfield when it is busy. For the Viking Triangle museums in Waterford, the set-down point is The Mall by the Bishop's Palace, and Bolton Street car park takes coaches free of charge.
Sizing for the whole party
Count pupils, teachers, SNAs and any parents. A class of 28 with four adults is 32, inside the 29 to 35 range of a midi coach, provided the vehicle offered has at least 32 belted seats. Two classes need a full-size coach. A minibus suits a small group, but a D1 licence covers only 16 passengers, so a larger minibus needs a category D driver.
Questions
Must pupils wear seat belts?
Yes. Every passenger aged 3 or over wears one where fitted, and a bus used to carry children needs a belt or restraint for each child.
Who arranges Garda vetting for the driver?
The operator, when a bus is dedicated to carrying children. Ask for it to be confirmed in writing.
Can the coach go right up to Newgrange?
No. It parks at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre and the class continues on the site shuttle at the booked time.
What should the school send?
Date, gate departure and return times, pupil and adult numbers, visit bookings with slot times, and any pupil needing a wheelchair space.
Cities
Vehicles
- Full-size coach — 49-81 seats
- Midi coach — 29-35 seats
- Minibus — 16-19 seats
- Executive van (Mercedes V-Class and similar) — 6-7 seats
- Executive car (E-Class saloon class) — 1-3 seats
- Wheelchair-accessible minibus — 10-16 plus wheelchair spaces
Price the school tour
Send the date, gate times, numbers and site bookings. The quote names the vehicle, belted seat count and return time.
Request a quote or call +353 1 265 9159