Union Minibus

Requesting a minibus

Requests for the use of minibuses should be made using eActivities.

Requests can be made in as far in advance of the booking as needed, though at least 3 weeks notice is suggested. Minibuses will not be allocated until 2 weeks before the requested bookings are due to commence. Requests for minibuses received less than 2 weeks before the booking is due to commence are allocated on a first come first served basis. Minibus requests for weekend trips or Tours can be allocated 3 weeks in advance, or even earlier, in order to ease trip and tour planning.

Please note, that you must be a core commitee member - Chair/President, Vice-Chair/President, Treasurer, Secretary or a team Captain in order to request minibuses via eActivities, as your request constitutes a financial commitment on behalf of your Club, Society or Project. 

Virtually all uses of minibuses fall within the IC Union Trip Registration Procedures. Please ensure you are aware of the relevant requirements, though the trip leader is responsible for actually carrying out this process. Information can be found within the Trips and Tours booklet available under the training pages.

If you are requesting a minibus for a College department or research group please contact us by filling in the following online form: College Booking Form.

 

Allocation of minibuses

Users may request as many minibuses as they feel they need at the time. Requests are held in the order in which they are received. While every effort will be made to satisfy all requests there are often not enough minibuses available to meet the demand at any given time. If the supply of minibuses is insufficient to meet all requests, allocations of minibuses are made according to the following priority order:

  1. Length of booking

Longer bookings get priority over shorter bookings. This is to try to achieve a higher income from the minibuses and therefore make the charge per hour as small as possible, as well as to provide assistance to CSPs trying to visit more remote/inaccessible locations.

  1. Number of customers that can be accommodated

If it is possible to dovetail multiple bookings for a minibus this will have priority over a single booking. This is to attempt to disappoint the least number of customers.

  1. Specialist equipment requirements e.g. tow-bars or loading space

The more essential need will gain priority.

  1. Multiple buses requested

By a single Club, Society or project for overlapping periods will be booked only if there is still availability for all other requests have been processed. Similarly, miltiple requests by CSPs will be allocated in an equitable manner, so that no one CSP has priority. Bookings for weekend and longer periods may be confirmed more than two weeks in advance if they will obviously be at the top of the allocation criteria.

  1. Type of request

Request from Clubs, Societies or Projects (regardless of the number of minibuses required at the same time) will be given priority over bookings from Halls of Residence or College Departments.

  1. Timing of request

Requests received less than two weeks before the usage is due to commence will only be accepted if there is availability. Existing bookings are not displaced. These requests are treated on a first come first served basis.