Terms and Conditions
These terms and conditions are issued in respect to school services operated by Ausden Clark Limited, Transport House, Murrayfield Road, Leicester LE3 1UW.
Definitions:
- Annual Bus Pass refers to an Ausden Clark Bus Pass issued for the school year in accordance with the terms and conditions
- Bus means bus, coach taxi or other vehicle provided by us for your journey
- Bus Stop means the pick- up and drop-off point as agreed on the running order for each contract
- We/Us/Our/The Company refers to Ausden Clark Limited and includes our drivers and other company employees
- You/Your refers to you as a passenger or as a person purchasing a ticket or bus pass on behalf of the passenger
- School Year is the academic year from August to the following July
- Bus Pass refer to both actual passes issued to allow travel on our services
- Parent/Guardian is the person responsible for the passenger and payment of fees
- Child/Student refers to the passenger travelling on our School Transport whom you are the parent or guardian
- Website refers to our company website (ausdenclark.co.uk)
1.1 Agreement
We agree to carry you on our school contracts subject to these terms and conditions.
1.2 Payment
Bus Pass prices and methods of payment are stated on the website. All payments should be made in advance according to the payment option chosen by you. Payments not received by the due date may result in the Bus Pass being withheld and/or payment options being withdrawn. Any payments not up to date will result in the driver allowing travel on the day but we will suspend use of the pass/ticket and advise that a Parent/Guardian must contact our office to ensure payment is made and eligibility to travel restored.
Regardless of the payment option chosen you shall immediately become liable to us for the cost of the Bus Pass for the full academic year, as soon as a an application is submitted for your Child. The travel is priced as competitively as possible based on each child travelling for the full academic year and may increase in the event of unforeseeable economic issues such as inflation and fuel costs, though any price increases will be communicated. We advise that the instalments must be kept up to date otherwise we will ask for full payment of the remainder of the academic year.
School Transport charges are calculated on an academic year basis and there will be no refund for days when transport is not used, ie sickness/holidays/exam leave, or for any unforeseen circumstances that prevent us from operating our normal services. This includes (but is not limited to) inclement weather/Bus breakdowns or late running/school closures or early finishes or events out of our control.
1.3 Cancellations
Cancellation will be accepted under extreme conditions only. We will consider each case individually, based on evidence provided.
In extreme situations such as COVID-19 lockdown, if deemed appropriate by the Government, any monies held be the Company would be frozen until such a time that the Company has the required information to respond to the situation. If the circumstances were to last for more than 30 days any monies owed thereafter would be refunded at the end of the term or transferred to the following academic year, if appropriate.
1.4 Personal Data and GDPR
We take the safeguarding of Your personal information very seriously. You can view our GDPR School Travel Pass Policy on our Website. Data is only be kept for as long as the purpose for which it was collected and to satisfy any legal regulatory or accounting requirements
The information stored by Ausden Clark for the purpose of providing travel passes:
- Pupil First name and Surname
- School attended
- Route used
- Digital Photograph (head & shoulders only)
- Parent or Guardian email address and contact number
- Any bank details provided to allow us to carry out the contract
The information is stored in compliance with GDPR regulations for 14 months from the date of receipt or renewal of the contract.
By providing Your personal information to us you are giving us permission to record and retain it and to contact You by telephone/text/email in relation to the School Bus Service and/ or your payments. We will never pass on Your information to Third Parties for marketing purposes but may disclose information to Your Parent/Guardian, School, Police or other Authorities as deemed appropriate. Please advise us of any changes to your name, address, email, telephone number and bank account (if affecting payments).
1.5 Bus Passes
You will be issued with a physical version of your pass free of charge, replacements are available at a cost of £10, when lost or stolen, this must be reported as soon as possible. These will either be posted to the parent or guardian of the student prior to the term commencement, or handed directly to the student at the start of term. Your child must have a valid Bus Pass for your journey and be ready to show the driver promptly on boarding.
The QR code on the pass allows us to contact Parents/ Guardians in the case of an emergency, as it gives the driver access to the Parent / Guardian Name and contact number. This function will be automatically activated on all passes, unless a request is made in writing to the contrary.
Bus Passes are not transferable and using another person’s Pass is classed as a breach of these terms and We reserve the right to request for another proof of Your identity to verify correct use of Bus Pass.
We reserve the right to refuse travel without a valid Bus Pass and may report you to your School or Parent/Guardian.
1.6 Parent or Guardian Responsibilities
As the person responsible for the child travelling on Our School Transport, by submitting an application and arranging payment for said travel You are accepting responsibility of ensuring that the child is fully aware of their responsibilities relating to our Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct and you are accepting responsibility for any damage caused/actions taken by your Child.
1.7 Code of Conduct
See code of conduct document here.
1.8 Bus Stops
The Bus will stop to pick-up and drop-off only at the places specified on the running order for that contract and it is not possible to stop at any other point requested by individuals. Ensure that all passengers arrive at their bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The pick-up/drop-off locations, times and order are all subject to changes throughout the academic year and will be kept up to date on the website.
1.9 Lost Property
We accept no responsibility for articles of lost property left on the School Bus. In the event of items being left on our Bus please contact our office and we will endeavour to locate it for you. We will come back to you only if the item is found. It is your responsibility to arrange collection of recovered items from our office.
Any unclaimed items will be disposed of after one month.
1.10 Inclement Weather
In bad weather it may be possible that we have to alter our routes to more easily accessible routes and it may not be possible to serve all Bus Stops if some roads are deemed unsafe/inaccessible. Schools may decide to close due to snow/floods/other reasons, in which case no refund will be given for days not travelled – please check your Schools website for such information in the event of extreme weather conditions.
1.11 Fuel Surcharge
Ausden Clark reserves the right to implement a fuel surcharge to school transportation costs should fuel costs increase to over £2.00 per litre.
1.12 Breach of Terms & Conditions
We reserve the right to withdraw travel for any pupil found to be in breach of these terms with no refund being given.
