Professional Passenger Transport — Who Needs It and When

Passenger transport matters more every year, largely because modern life keeps accelerating. We are expected to cover ever greater distances in ever less time. Not everyone owns a car, and in certain situations using one is neither economical nor convenient. That is when transport companies come into the picture, and their services are now used routinely by businesses and private customers alike. What is on offer, and what do you actually gain by having a professional carrier handle the journey?

Until fairly recently, minibus and coach hire was mostly the preserve of companies, schools and institutions. Carriers responding to the market have since shaped their services so that they appeal to private customers too — people travelling abroad for work, taking a trip, or arranging transport for a family occasion. Choose the company carefully and hiring turns out to be more attractive in several respects than making your own way, and in many cases it is markedly cheaper. So who should be paying attention, and why? Let us start with what businesses stand to gain.

Coach hire for companies

How a business approaches coach hire depends on its character, how it operates day to day and what it is trying to achieve. Sometimes the need is coach travel within Silesia or a neighbouring region, taking staff to where the work is — construction sites and seasonal work being the obvious examples. Even in companies where travel is not a daily event, working with a carrier can pay off. And if your premises sit well outside the city centre and are awkward to reach, employee shuttles are worth serious thought.

Arranged that way, staff arrive on time regardless of where they live or what hours they work, with no anxiety about gaps in the public transport timetable. People stop looking elsewhere, so the employer keeps skilled staff and avoids the cost of training replacements. Team-building trips are another common reason for hiring. They are popular with employers as a form of motivation, a way to strengthen relationships and a chance to observe individual qualities that the daily workload leaves no time to notice.

Business travel

Then there are conferences and training courses, at home and abroad, which staff need to reach at a specific time. You might assume that sitting as a passenger costs the body nothing, but it is genuinely demanding, and constant road noise becomes wearing over a long run. An employer who wants their team to arrive less tired and therefore more effective should pay attention to how well equipped the minibuses and coaches are. Modern vehicles are built for long journeys. When choosing a carrier, look at the fleet: large coaches or small minibuses, and whether they match what you actually need. Their mechanical condition should be a priority, so that nothing unpleasant happens en route.

Schools and educational institutions

Transport is also arranged for schools and educational centres. Children and young people on a trip need safety and comfort on short journeys and long ones alike. Their protection has to come first, which means the transport company must be sound in every respect. When choosing one, look beyond the price to how well equipped the vehicles are, how experienced the drivers are and what mechanical condition the fleet is in. Some pupils have regular activities off site — swimming pools, sports halls — so the coach carrying them must be ready for heavy use. Add to that recreational trips, including abroad. Our company handles international passenger transport to a high standard at competitive rates, and we would be glad to show head teachers and parents what we can offer.

When private customers use hired transport

Hired transport is commonly associated with corporate solutions, yet it is an appealing option for private customers who value convenience and want to save time and money. Broadly there are three groups: people arranging an occasion, people travelling abroad for work, and holidaymakers. Start with the first — those planning something significant, such as an anniversary or a wedding, who want family and friends brought safely to the venue.

Bringing guests to a reception

Depending on how many guests you expect, a minibus or a coach will do the job. Drivers collect passengers from the address you name at the time you set, so there is no anxiety about poor organisation casting a shadow over the day, and no lasting memory of lateness. Anyone facing the challenge of planning a wedding or a first communion wants their guests to enjoy themselves and everything to run exactly as intended. That is why hired transport so often works out better than a convoy of private cars. It brings comfort and sets a good tone at the venue. Everyone arriving at the same time avoids any awkwardness about who goes first, and no one is left waiting for the rest to appear. The whole process runs more smoothly — and taking guests home afterwards, even in the small hours, presents no difficulty at all.

Travelling abroad for work

Since Poland joined the European Union, a great many Poles have travelled abroad to work, most often to the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. Most do not intend to drive there — they leave their belongings behind in search of better earnings. With the car staying in Poland, another way of reaching the new address is needed, which leaves flying or a minibus. The statistics show clearly that minibus travel is the more popular choice, for several reasons. An established carrier with drivers used to routes in other countries gives passengers a margin of safety, and people employed by transport companies know where it is sensible to stop.

A comfortable, safe arrival

Because passengers stay in one position for hours, the recommendation is a twenty-minute break for every two hours of driving. Drivers and passengers both need it, and a short stretch helps. Not every stopping place is equally suitable, so it is worth trusting a driver who will choose somewhere secure and well used, where the break is genuinely restful. Regular stops notwithstanding, transport companies understand how wearing a long journey is, which is why their vehicles are well equipped with features that make the time pass more easily. Air conditioning and adjustable seats are effectively standard now, as is internet access.

Hiring a minibus means arriving at the door. Leaving to work abroad is stressful in itself, and especially so the first time. Heading to a new job in a city you do not know at all makes it harder still. Fly, and you will be asking for directions at the airport in order to reach your accommodation. Hired transport, by contrast, includes delivering passengers to a specific address, so a new arrival has nothing to work out and nowhere to get lost. Knowing there will be no trouble at the other end makes the whole journey more pleasant.

What to sort out before you travel

Before you board, prepare as thoroughly as you can for what awaits you on the journey and at the other end. When packing, think about which documents and items will actually be useful, how long you are going for and what conditions to expect. Start with a list of essentials — it is invaluable once the packing begins. Identity documents are non-negotiable: your ID card and, where required, your passport. It is worth carrying two or three forms of identification and packing them separately, which matters enormously if luggage is lost or stolen.

Next comes the EHIC — the European Health Insurance Card, issued in Poland by the NFZ, which entitles you to healthcare in the country you are visiting. It is not issued on the day you apply, so allow time. Pack medication somewhere easy to reach, and in sufficient quantity if you take it regularly. Toiletries can be bought anywhere, so unless you are attached to a particular brand, travel sizes are the sensible choice. Then choose a company that handles passenger transport to a decent standard.

Holidays by hired minibus

Travelling abroad need not mean travelling for work. More and more people are looking for interesting holidays at a modest cost. Plenty of airlines offer cheap tickets and they are popular, but some travellers prefer a minibus or coach, particularly when the destination is in a neighbouring country. Not having to drive yourself means arriving far less tired: with a few of you travelling, you can head straight out to explore rather than needing to recover first. Drivers also know a great many places worth seeing and are usually happy to share what they know.

Hired transport is useful on holidays in another way too. When the season approaches, we book hotels in all sorts of distant places, and the last-minute offers from travel agents are both easy to find and affordable, which makes them popular. An appealing destination at a good price — and you are going. Excellent, except that the suitcases still have to get to the airport, and that is where the first difficulty appears. Not everyone wants to ask friends or family for a lift, and leaving a car in an airport car park is equally unappealing. The answer is to book an affordable airport transfer with a transport company. It lets you enjoy the holiday you planned, and getting to and from the airport stops being a problem.

What about travelling with pets?

Pet owners face a different set of problems. Cats and dogs live in a great many households, where they are a daily source of pleasure, loyal companions and playmates for the children. But as the holidays approach, the questions start: who will look after them? Some go to boarding kennels or to relatives, though increasingly owners take their animals with them. Hotels, cottages and guesthouses now commonly accept pets, which makes bringing them along tempting. That solves the accommodation, but they still have to travel — and not every animal copes well, quite apart from the paperwork required to cross a border.

Keeping animals safe on the road

Your pets deserve the same care over travelling conditions as your passengers. Start with the documents. Within the European Union, animals travel under the rules in force since 1 January 2012 governing the movement of animals within the Community. The animal must carry a microchip conforming to the ISO 11784 standard, which allows the owner's details to be verified. A passport issued by a vet is also required, recording current vaccinations including rabies. Requirements differ from country to country: in some, the rabies vaccination need only be repeated every few years, but to leave Poland lawfully it must be renewed annually. Some countries also require worming and tick protection. Check the specific rules for your destination well before the day of departure.

Paperwork aside, anyone bringing a pet aboard wants the journey to be safe for the animal. That means adequate ventilation and access to water and food. A small animal can travel in a carrier, which adds a measure of protection. If it is not used to being enclosed and would only become more anxious, or is simply too large for a carrier, use a harness instead. Pet shops sell purpose-made travel harnesses that leave the animal some freedom of movement while keeping it secure under heavy braking.