Understanding the Secret Costs of School Transportation

Can we really afford to ignore the hidden costs of school transport services?

When dealing with school transport there are overly complicated financial and operational minutiae that go into your transportation services. There are often hidden costs that you may be aware of, but more importantly, there may be many that you are unaware of. For most schools we have spoken to, due diligence has correctly identified any secret costs that may have slipped under the radar but for some organisations, cleverly worded text and a lack of openness and transparency mean that a lot of additional fees tend to go unnoticed. What could you be paying out for that you don't yet know about?

Administrative Costs

Does your team spend countless hours dealing with admin tasks like route planning, ticketing, liaising with your operators, tackling parent enquiries or endless hours searching for lost property? How much time is spent and money is devoted to safeguarding issues; ensuring DBS checks are up to date and that your transportation service is fully compliant with all relevant requirements and regulatory legislation?  

Opportunity Costs

Losses associated with running a transport service with empty seats are far too commonplace. Often a school will take a larger vehicle than they need simply because that is what they have ‘always had'. This can have negative effects, not only on the environment but also on your budget which, combined with a lack of ticket policing, outdated routes wasting miles and poor communication, can often mean your service is underperforming and haemorrhaging finances.

Educational institutions often struggle to retain the value they need, because the home-to-school transport within catchment areas is not optimised to its fullest potential. Flexible, dynamic solutions are needed to ensure schools are always at the forefront of cost-effective yet sustainable transport for their students. Are you missing out on increasing student numbers due to poor reach or trust in your service? Zeelo is able to provide the additional knowledge and expertise to ensure that these opportunities are being fully explored.

Non-financial Costs

Beyond what a school needs to spend to ensure safe and efficient transport for its students are the other costs associated with home-to-school transport. Safeguarding and assurance are among the most important factors to consider. In a day and age where everything we do is trackable, monitoring your student’s journies to school should be as easy as tracking an Uber journey or food delivery. Parents today need to have confidence and peace of mind that their children are in safe hands at all times.

Another important factor to consider, particularly in today’s climate, is the cost of transport to the environment. With a keen eye now being cast on most aspects of society to determine ways in which to reduce our carbon footprint amid a global climate crisis, the need to get cars off the road, offset greenhouse gas emissions and minimise congestion has become a top priority.

With Zeelo there are no hidden costs; we pride ourselves on total transparency; what you see is what you get! Start saving around 20% in comparison to when managing your service in-house. Zeelo can provide the technology to address any of your home-to-school transport issues with a fully managed solution that includes a dedicated account manager as a single point of contact, and 24/7 customer service to handle any parent or passenger inquiries, as well as round-the-clock vehicle tracking to avoid any logistical or safeguarding issues.

Zeelo operates a fully carbon-neutral service that newly onboarded schools and centres of higher learning can access and themselves boast from day one at no additional cost; a far cry from the hidden sustainability premiums many organisations charge their customers.

With access to a range of operators with appropriate fleet sizes, operational backup in the event of breakdowns or emergencies and ongoing support and backup from our team of experts we are sure to create a solution that can best meet your needs.

We understand that school transport needs are changing fast, so it is more important than ever to make sure your service is keeping up with demand. Share the cost with parents, don’t get stuck down with large complicated contracts and explore the insights you need to ensure you’re gaining value.

Get a free quote and consultation from Zeelo for your school. Find out more below

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