Our Safety Charter

When you travel with Shaws Coaches, we guarantee to provide a first class service from a family run business, established since 1922.

Passengers can expect no less than to be transported in properly maintained vehicles, driven by fully qualified, skilled drivers that undergo regular training and hold CPC certification to ensure your safe journey.

When you travel with us, please follow all the driver’s instructions when boarding and during the journey. Our drivers are not ‘just drivers’. They are highly trained to deal with emergency situations should they arise. They are fully conversant with all PCV and Drivers’ Hours Regulations that are in place to protect all road users.

Coach drivers are legally in charge of the coach and are required to ensure the safety of passengers and therefore their instructions must be followed. For safety reasons, a driver may ask a party leader of a school group or where children are part of the group, to sit in specific seats or areas of the coach and it is recommended that an adult is seated by the emergency exit.

On school trips or trips where children are carried, the party leader is legally responsible for ensuring the safe journey of all the children or young people. The leader should ensure all safety belts are worn correctly at all times and that baggage is stowed safely in overhead storage. It is an offence to block aisles or exits because this can seriously hamper an emergency exit. Disruptive behaviour is a potential hazard as it distracts our drivers so please support them by providing adequate supervision and ensure that students remain seated at all times. We will require a named contact on all hires.

A tidy coach is a safer coach and all passengers are asked not to consume food or drink on board and to observe our no chewing gum policy. It would be greatly appreciated if the coach leader could ensure that passengers remove all items of rubbish before leaving the coach at the end of their journey. Additional cleaning charges will be levied in the event of excessive waste being left on board.

In the unlikely event of an emergency, please listen carefully and follow the driver’s instructions. Bear in mind that emergency doors are often located on the offside of the vehicle, so care should be taken when exiting as traffic may be overtaking. Once evacuated, passengers should stay at least 30m from the coach (and behind the safety barrier on a motorway) and remain there until help arrives. If it is not safe to evacuate the coach the organiser may be asked to move occupants from the last four rows of seats in case the coach is hit in the rear by another vehicle.

Thank you for your cooperation.