Choosing an employee transport provider: questions to ask before you sign
An employee transport contract touches every employee every day. A late bus means a late start; a breakdown with no replacement means lost work. These questions help you tell a company that rents buses from one that runs an operation.
Are the buses and drivers licensed?
Ask for proof that buses and drivers are licensed by the Transport General Authority. Licensing is the minimum, not an extra.
Then ask about training: are drivers trained in safety and passenger care? Is there a uniform and a clear policy on phone use while driving?
What happens when a bus breaks down?
This question reveals a lot. A good answer is specific: where the standby bus is kept, how long it takes to arrive, and who tells you.
Ask for the standby bus to be written into the contract, not promised verbally.
Who is the daily point of contact?
If your team ends up chasing drivers, you are running the operation for the provider. Better to have a transport supervisor dedicated to your contract who answers the phone and solves problems before they reach you.
How will you know the service is working?
Ask about reporting: will you receive daily and monthly reports on punctuality, attendance and incidents? Can buses be followed by GPS?
And ask which indicators the provider commits to in writing, such as on-time performance and standby readiness.
A short checklist before signing
- Transport General Authority licences for buses and drivers
- A standby bus written into the contract
- A dedicated supervisor and a direct number
- GPS tracking and interior cameras
- Periodic reports and written performance indicators
- The option to speak to current clients
