Terms and Conditions

1. General
   In these conditions any reference to the Company means London Vintage Bus Hire Ltd T/A The London Bus Company. The hire start and finish times plus the purpose of the booking will be agreed prior to the hire date as will the locations to be visited. We reserve the right to decline any hire that has not been truthfully described. Quotations for a hire are valid for 2 months and do not form a ‘Contract’ until an invoice has been issued and the relevant deposit received. Any changes to original pricing will have to be reassessed if the booking is materially altered. The hirer is responsible to the company for any damage to the vehicle, its fittings or equipment caused by the negligence or misconduct of any passengers carried thereon. The hirer may not cause the hours of work or driving performed by the driver to break the law relating to drivers hours as set out in the 1968 Road Traffic Act and any subsequent amendments. Notices or decorations shall not be displayed from the vehicle without the previous consent of the company in writing. The company shall not be responsible for any failure to execute this contract by reason of accident, fire, tempest, strikes or any cause outside their control. The company shall not be responsible for loss or damage to luggage or other property brought onto the vehicle during the period of hire however caused. This contract shall not be varied in whole or in part except by mutual consent of the company and the hirer.
2. Age restrictions
   All hirers must be over 21. Any hire where the party includes a significant number (as determined by the company) of passengers under the age of 18 must include at least two responsible adults as passengers. In case of a Prom the hirer will be responsible at the end of ‘phone to deal with any incidents.
3. Alcohol may not be taken on to, or consumed on the bus unless by strict arrangement with the company at the time of booking, and confirmation in writing by the company. Only Champagne, Pimms, wine or similar is permitted. In the case of travel to sporting events no alcohol maybe consumed on the journey to or from the venue. A damage deposit may be requested at the time of booking, at the discretion of the company. Any permitted alcohol must be consumed from plastic glasses not individual bottles with straws. The hirer is responsible for removing the debris at the end of the hire. The crew have the right in all circumstances to refuse travel to any person they deem drunken, riotous, or offensive in accordance with PSV ‘Conduct’ Regulations 1990 as amended.
4. Restricted Events
   We do not provide our buses for stadium football matches, (except under 18 with parents on board) pub crawls or late night returns except Corporate events by special arrangement.
5. Authority of driver / conductor
   The authority of the driver and / or conductor is final. They have the right to stop the bus, cancel the hire or ask passengers to leave the bus at their discretion for reasons of safety, health, behaviour or any other reason. In such an event, the hirer will not receive compensation.
6. Damage
   If any damage occurs which causes our vehicle(s) to be out of use for repairs ‘The Client’ will be liable to pay a daily rate, equal to the stated fee for the booked event whilst it is off the road (limited to £2,000 per day) plus the cost of any repairs and/or cleaning.
7. Extra Charges
   Additional charges such as parking fees, permits or entry fees will be levied in accordance with the charges imposed by the company supplying the services and must be paid by the hirer. Such charges are to be paid on demand or ideally in advance of the date of hire. In addition, the cost of any wilful damage or unreasonable cleaning will be charged to the hirer.
8. Public Address Systems
   A small number of our vehicles have a PA system fitted, these vehicles will be prioritised to vehicles performing sightseeing tours where a blue badge guide has also been booked. If your hire requires a PA system this must be specified at the time of booking. The Company cannot always guarantee that a suitable vehicle will be available on the day.
9. Journey Times
   There is no guarantee that the vehicle will perform the journey in any given time window and the company shall not be accountable for any loss, inconvenience or damage which may arise from any delay, detention or breakdown. We always try to arrive in good time, before your hire starts, but it is not always possible to be certain that the vehicle will not encounter problems with congestion or road closures.
10. Traffic Delays
    The London Bus Company Ltd shall not be liable to pay any compensation, damages or expenses arising out of any partial or total failure to perform the hire, for which it is NOT responsible. We cannot accept responsibility for delays caused by traffic conditions or other disruptions beyond our control. This includes emergency road closures caused by accidents or diversions made by Highways Authority or police.
11. Payment Method and Terms
    • All hires are payable in advance, by on line bank transfer. We no longer accept payment by cheque.
    • If you would like to pay either the deposit or balance by credit or debit card please contact the office between 09:30 & 17:00 Monday – Friday to give card details. Please note that we are not able to accept payment by AMEX.
    • Payment details will be agreed upon confirmation of hire.
    • All payments must be received in sterling and net of any transaction charges.
    • A deposit of £100 is payable per bus at the time of receiving the invoice. The deposit is non-refundable. Until the deposit is received the hire is not confirmed and can be cancelled or the price changed.
    • The balance of the hire charge is due, at least, two weeks before the hire date, unless stated otherwise by the company.
    • In the unlikely event on cancelling the booking we can refund 50% of the balance paid up to 2 weeks before hire date excluding deposit. In the 2 weeks prior to the date no refund will be given.
12. Routes
    Pickup and set down points for all hires have to be agreed at the time of paying the balance. The driver has the final decision on the exact route taken. The driver will endeavour to accommodate all reasonable requests from the hirer, but will consider the safety of the passengers, other road users and the vehicle itself when determining the route, and any pickup/set down points. If the hirer is in any doubt as to the suitability of any roads necessary to the execution of the hire for the safe passage of the bus they must notify the Company at the time of booking.  Double deck buses are 14ft 6in high, low trees can prevent passage of vehicles especially in rural areas or roads not usually traversed by double deck buses. Low bridges and hotel or reception canopies are other common obstacles. We will not routinely carry out an on site route survey. If you believe a location or route may present an issue, you must draw it to our attention, you may suggest alternative routes or access, we will initially check Google Street View and take a view on accessibility, if we believe we can not access the site we may suggest use of single deck vehicles or decline the hire, you may request we perform an on site route survey and pay any charge that is requested for a route survey to be carried out.  In the event of our vehicle not being able to safely reach the intended destination the trip will end at the closest safe point. No liability can be accepted if the bus is unable to safely reach any or all stopping-off points should this not be done and the adjudication of the driver in such circumstances will be final.
    We will normally look to pick up and set down guests at authorised bus stops, unless alternative safe and legal stopping locations are available.
13. Use Of Vehicle Between Booked Journeys
    The hirer cannot assume that he will have the use of the vehicle or that it will remain at the destination between outward and return journeys, unless this has been agreed with the company in advance.
14. Your Responsibility On The Day
    Please see FAQ section on providing a responsible person to ensure hire runs as you intend. We cannot be held responsible if passengers get left behind through no-one knowing when everyone is present.
15. Safety , Capacity & Children
    The safety of passengers is our first priority. The following guidelines must be followed by all passengers:
    • Passengers may not move between the upper and lower decks while the bus is in motion
    • Passengers must remain seated whenever possible while the bus is in motion
    • Passengers must act in accordance with any instructions given by the conductor
    • Passengers may not travel on the stairs or platform of the bus.
    • No standing passengers may be carried on any private hire working
    • The total number of passengers carried will always be limited to the seating capacity displayed on the vehicle. The section relating to standing passengers does not apply on private hire work.
    • Children up to the age of 4 years and carried on their parents laps are not counted as passengers in this context.
    • Due to the nature of the business our vintage buses cannot accommodate wheelchairs, push-chairs (prams), bicycles, or large items of luggage and you are advised to make alternative arrangements for these requirements.” 2 Folded up push-chairs may be carried with permission of the conductor.
16. Seat Belts our vehicles are classic London buses and as such are not fitted with seat belts. If children are coming on board without parents, it is advisable to make the parents aware of this fact, gain their consent and ensure you have adequate adult supervision present on the bus.
17. Smoking is not permitted on any part of the bus including the rear platform and this includes the upper deck even on an open top.
18. Substitution
    The Company reserve the right to substitute vehicles loaned to them by other operators for the company’s vehicles without any preliminary notice. In the case of a green, white or red and white vehicle, a red bus may have to be substituted if any last minute problems are encountered.
19. Mechanical Failure
    In the event of the mechanical failure of any of its buses the Company will endeavour to provide a suitable replacement at the earliest opportunity. However, due to the nature of the business this may take some time and should the hirer decide to make alternative arrangements then the Company cannot accept any responsibility for the costs so incurred except in whole or in part as a gesture of goodwill. No liability for consequential loss can be accepted and under all circumstances compensation cannot exceed the original cost of the hire.
20. Vehicle Identities
    The Company will always try to provide any vehicle specifically requested at the time of booking for a hire. However, due to the nature of the business it is not always possible to guarantee that any specific vintage vehicle will always be available for service when required and the Company reserves the right in these circumstances to substitute any suitable alternative vehicle at its own discretion.
21. Extending the Hire Duration
    Generally we will not agree to extend the hire content beyond that booked. ie. Additional trips or destinations can not be added.  For things like filming where the vehicle remains in use or on set longer than booked, this will be at our crew’s discretion, charged at an agreed hourly rate for each hour or part thereof and subject to EU drivers hours rules. Additional charges will apply if we have to send a relief driver.
22. Agreement and Compliance
    The hirer is advised to read these conditions before entering into any hire contract (Invoice) with the Company and will thereafter be deemed to have accepted them in full. Our buses are operated in accordance with PSV regulations, under a strict service schedule as defined by DVSA (Driver Vehicle Standards Agency) they are also subject to an annual Class 6 MOT, the most stringent. All are fitted with Tachographs, to record driver’s hours. They are also taxed correctly as buses and carry an operator’s licence (Blue tax type disc). Please ask if you are in any doubt.

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