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Dear Customer,
This information is to help you, the customer, make an informed choice when selecting a company for your transportation needs. We are the oldest family owned private bus company in Ontario, in operation since 1922. For the past 80 years our goal has been personalized service combined with a high level of customer satisfaction. Unfortunately there are companies that compromise themselves in an effort to obtain business. Often customers are over sold, but under serviced or purchase based on price alone. Many times promises made are not delivered, this information will help you make a wise choice.
Just a note about safety. Coaches (56/55/47) must be looked at every 30 days or 12,000km, it is the law, it is called a schedule 4. We bring in our every 30 days days because we don’t do that long of trips.
School buses must come in every 6 months to be inspected and a safety done – we do ours every 3 months.
We own all equipment and have our own service shop, we have our mechanics that are licensed 310T.
We have an in house training department and drivers are re-evaluated every year!
We take them out and do a road test and circle check to make sure there skills are meeting our standards.
Questions to ask when comparing charter operators:
Driver Training & Safety
Although there are many coach companies in the GTA, there are only a few belonging to the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association of Ontario with high standards and qualified personnel needed to be a signing authority. Unfortunately many companies have little or no driver training, education or evaluation processes in place; this makes the customer vulnerable in the event of an incident. We are members of Infrastructure Health & Safety Association of Ontario. We are a Registered Signing Authority, meaning we comply with all Government, safety, training and operational requirements to train and licence drivers.
Insurance
We carry a $10,000,000 liability policy, both Canadian and USA coverage. Since September 11th, premiums have more than tripled; and will continue to rise. US coverage has increased five fold.
Government License & Authority
We are licensed to pickup throughout the GTA and surrounding area, including Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Driver Qualification – Our charter drivers are Class B/BZ licensed with at least 2 years experience in transportation.
Vehicles
We operate a modern fleet of 55/56 and 32 passenger coaches and 48 passenger activity/school buses equipped with such amenities as cell phone, VCR, PA system, AM/FM stereo cassette/CD and DVD, restroom, deluxe seating, climate controlled and luggage storage.
Cost
The last few years have brought double-digit inflation to our industry. A new coach is over $520,000; a new school bus is over $90,000. Increased fuel, insurance, maintenance and government compliance costs has also been a contributing factor to higher prices.
Pride of Ownership
We own ALL our vehicles and they are maintained in our full-service garage facility by licensed technicians. Some companies lease or rent vehicles and do not have maintenance facilities, often leading to substandard care and maintenance. Our maintenance technicians, 24 hour cleaning staff, sales, training and support personnel, continually strive to exceed customer expectations and quality service.
Associations
We are members of prestigious organizations such as Ontario Motor Coach Association, Motor Coach Canada, Ontario School Bus Association, Transportation Health & Safety Association of Ontario, United Motorcoach Association, American Bus Association, Travel Industry Council of Ontario and Association of Canadian Travel Agents.
Customer Service
We are more than Transportation – our knowledgeable staff can assist in hotel and restaurant reservations, guide services and complete Tour arrangements.
As always, cost is a concern for most customers, especially schools or non-profit organizations. Lower rates normally come from cutting corners, providing substandard service, vehicles or drivers, which could result in compromising passenger safety that is foremost in every aspect of our business. We take pride in complying with all Ministry Regulations, and offering one of the highest levels of safety and service to our customers.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us at anytime at 905-451-4776 or email at info@parkinsoncoach.com.
Sincerely,
The Management of Parkinson Coach & Tours
Customer Service
