Planning a big upcoming event or trip? Have plenty of attendees or participants involved? If so, then the involvement of a charter coach or multiple buses is likely a must. However, simply hiring transportation vehicles without first planning for their use is likely to result in a chaotic situation during the event. At this point, you may be perplexed over what considerations you need to pay attention to. If so, this article is for you; we intend to discuss the key logistics problems that charter coaches face as well as what can be done to address them.
Firstly, charter buses take up a sizable amount of space. As such, the destination needs to be conducive for their maneuvering. If the car park space is tight or street parking is needed, then on the ground inspection is required before engagement of charter bus services. It would be highly frustrating to all parties involved if the buses engaged struggle to perform a three-point turn or to shift through the space. As such, you should inform the bus agency of the areas surrounding your event ahead of time. This will allow them to gauge what buses can be engaged to serve you effectively.
Secondly, as we alluded to in the paragraph above, charter coaches come in many different sizes. Depending on the number of delegates or participants that you wish to ferry, you should choose the corresponding bus sizes. Common bus types include 13-seater, 19-seater, 23-seater and 49-seater buses. You should take into account other logistics that you may need to transport. If you have several bulky items or have a need to transport your participants’ belongings, then larger buses may be needed to accommodate them.
Thirdly, when multiple buses are engaged for your event, you will need to plan for both staging and loading stages. Staging is the industry term used to denote the time between when the buses first start and when they pick up the passengers. On an application level, a staging area is where buses and their drivers temporarily wait till they are able to travel to the spot where your passengers board. Staging areas are used in order to avoid a gridlock in the pick-up area while also enabling a smooth flow of traffic.
Having covered the staging, we next bring you through loading. Loading zones are designated for passenger boarding and typically have a time limit. Buses are often restricted to staying in the bus loading bay for not more than between ten to thirty minutes, depending on the rules of the authorities.
Finally, it is important to stress that the importance of credentials and professionalism of the bus charter agency should not be underestimated. Typically, their engagement is a mundane affair, but should problems arise, it could spell terrible consequences for your event.
