Coaches with tourists lining the streets of seaside resorts are as iconic for Great Britain as Big Ben is to London. From shifting passengers to sporting events, pop concerts, stadiums, the theatre, through to undertaking rail and airport replacement work, coaches are unashamedly the beating heart of a busy summer season. Backhouse Jones (BHJ) is equally synonymous for legal advice to the coaching industry and, we trust, as distinctive. Our complete understanding of the coaching sector is based on a thousand first hand experiences and enables our clients to receive a uniquely bespoke service.
With this in mind, BHJ are delighted to offer a range of legal perks to members of the UKCOA and these can be outlined as follows: –
- BACKup
Our BACKup scheme stops the clock on legal fees and provides access to 24-hour legal advice from qualified, industry-specific solicitors in relation to regulatory road transport law and employment matters for a fixed monthly fee.
The subscription plan enables operators to deal with the two pinch-points of a coaching business; compliance management and the management of employees – the HR factor. BACKup provides operators with immediate access to BHJ’s expert transport lawyers providing robust, proactive advice and provides peace of mind that should a calamity occur, coaching operators will not have to find thousands of pounds to defend the matter.
In addition, BACKup provides access to BHJ’s other offerings which include commercial property, corporate law and advice on commercial disputes and contracts through a free initial consultation and then at significantly reduced hourly rates.
BACKup Pricing begins at £75 + VAT per month and is grouped on set parameters, based on the number of vehicles authorised on the operators O-Licence and UKCOA members benefit from a 10% discount.
Why is it advantageous to be part of the BACKup scheme?
In addition to the 10% UKCOA member discount, membership of BACKup entails a number of other significant benefits which ensure systematic benchmarking across a coach operator’s business:-
- 20% discount on all of BHJ’s e-training courses;
- Discounted fixed rate for compliance reviews
- Discounted rates on bespoke company in-house training
- Free 30 minutes advice line
BHJ understands the pressures that coach operators are under and often it pays to speak with a sector-specific legal expert at the outset of an issue in order to address the problem and nip accordingly in the bud. BHJ’s relationship with UKCOA will enable all members to pick up the phone for a free-of-charge initial 30-minute conversation to ensure that whatever problem has occurred is rectified in the most effective and time managed way.
To contact us please call 01254 828300 and state you are a UKCOA Member.
The word on the street…
Backhouse Jones has been the market leader for the Commercial Road Transport category since inception of the Chambers Independent Guide to the Legal Profession. Chambers & Partners have described the firm as “the premier firm dealing with road transport regulatory work with far and away the biggest market share of any firm in this field”.
BHJ has represented operators at every judicial level up to and including the European Courts of Justice. The firm has been at the vanguard of transport related legislation from concessionary fares to tachograph and compliance issues and no other law firm undertakes more Public Inquiries before the Traffic Commissioner than Backhouse Jones. Our complete understanding of the coaching sector ensures that we deliver fast and effective daily advice and our cost-effective fixed fee gives a predictable and managed monthly legal spend. Our lawyers assume responsibility freeing you to concentrate on your core business.