Check Points appears in every issue of Group Travel Organiser magazine looking at the more serious side of being a group organiser. If you have any comments or questions on this, or any other subject, please contact us.

Travel by coach is, statistically, by far the safest form of land transport. CPT’s own publication shows that from figures derived from the Department for Transport, the number of fatalities on board buses and coaches were only 0.4 per billion passenger kilometres between 1993 and 2002. That compares with some 41 on pedal cycles and 54 walking. By any definition and interpretation, that is safe! But accidents do happen, and GTOs need to be aware that simple checks and balances can be undertaken when hiring a coach which will satisfy even the most demanding risk manager.

Even if you are not organising a tour professionally, you may still be liable in respect of any problems or accidents that occur by using third party suppliers. This applies to hotels and attractions just as much as coach companies. But if you operate under the auspices of the Package Travel Regulations, you have an absolute liability in respect of the performance of third party suppliers. It would be your responsibility to prove negligence on the part of the supplier.

So is all this bad news? No, not really and that is where risk management comes in. The term ‘risk management’ need not strike fear into the hearts and minds of group organisers. The issue is not avoiding risk altogether; that would simply be impossible. But what it does do is measure the potential risks inherent in contracting third parties and ensure you have done all you can to see that they operate both within the law and, where necessary, demonstrate best practice. Like most things, it’s basic common sense.

Coach operators work in a highly regulated and professional environment and will be able to demonstrate fairly easily that they are competent to take your group. But there are some key questions that you can ask your operator that you can document as part of a risk management strategy. Remember, anything that you can obtain in advance will go along way to avoiding litigation if something goes wrong.

Some key questions you should ask any operator you intend to hire should be at least the following:

Is the Company controlled by a Transport Manager who has continuous and effective responsibility for the operation of the business?
Does this person hold a ‘Certificate of Professional Competence’?
Is there a fully operational daily vehicle check system in place and how does it operate?
Is there a documented system to ensure vehicles are presented in a clean and safe condition?
Are the terms and conditions of hire easily understood? (CPT members are encouraged to utilize the CPT’s own guideline terms which cover most eventualities and will outline the company policy on cancellation, extension of hires etc.)
Does the company operate from an identifiable operating base?
Are the drivers issued with a detailed ‘handbook’ containing pertinent information required to carry out their duties professionally and in line with company policy?
Is there a 24 hour breakdown procedure and mobile contact?
Are the drivers issued with effective and clear instructions that accurately reflect the customer’s requirements?
Asking these questions of the operator before you contract the vehicle is a simple and effective way of managing risk. Much of this will not even require a visit to their premises as it is capable of being copied and sent electronically. If the company is a member of CPT and part of the Coachmarque accreditation scheme, it will have its compliance independently audited for additional reassurance.

You should set out a questionnaire in advance and note how each question has been answered. Keep copies of the documentation the company sends to you and make sure all this paperwork is kept together. Companies may well not answer all questions as well as you would like. It will then be your judgment as to whether it is necessary to question the operator further, or you might feel the issue is not as important to your group. That is essentially where the risk management element comes in. In future articles, we will also see where this fits in with insurance requirements.

Once the tour is actually operating, there are a myriad of issues to deal with that require consideration, some of which might fall into the responsibility of the operator, and some the organiser.
One question often asked, for example, is about the serving of hot drinks whilst the vehicle is in motion. The absolute answer would be don’t, but a more pragmatic approach might be to serve them, but only on motorways or other smooth roads. This reduces the risk rather than simply ignore the possibility of accident.

Another classic situation is the use of steps when alighting the coach. In what might be termed the ‘good old days’ most drivers or operators would provide an upturned box to assist passengers with getting on and off the coach. These have largely disappeared because of the risk of customers falling off the step and injuring themselves. So in a ‘risk management’ situation a GTO needs to stipulate that such devices should not be used, even if passengers might wish to use them.

You also need to consider other areas of risk and make your own judgments as to how important they might be:

Loading and unloading – does this present a hazard? Are the pick up points in a safe location?
Coach parking – does it involve reversing? Could passengers find themselves behind a reversing vehicle?
Seat belts should always be worn when fitted. It is compulsory in some EU countries and will be here soon. Research shows they save lives.
Serving food and drink on board – are there safety issues here? Ensure all litter is tidied away, consider providing litter bags or nominating someone to clear up regularly. An empty can rolling around can be genuine hazard.
Has the route and stops been agreed with the operator and driver?
Are you sure the itinerary can be operated without compromising safety and drivers hours?
Ask your customers to take note of the driver’s safety briefing and to take note of the location of the emergency exits, first aid kits and fire extinguishers.
Baggage on board should be kept to a minimum and certainly kept away from the aisles and door entrances
Finally, don’t distract the driver. It’s against the law to talk to him whilst the vehicle is in motion except in emergency. If he can’t concentrate, he’s not doing his job effectively!
You may already know much of this, but the advice is based on experience from real events and real incidents, so even if it hasn’t happened to you before, you never know when it might.