ABC Minicoaches of Wargrave, near Reading, may have started with the school run, but the operator is now setting its sights on a much bigger route map.
The family-run business was founded by owner Ricky Bashier around two decades ago. The company’s foundation in school transport has built up a good reputation that is enjoyed across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, and the surrounding areas. Today the company works with around 15 schools, including public, grammar and state schools, while also serving local authority contracts and specialist smaller group travel.
That core work remains central according to Minicoaches Manager Ifti Ali (pictured), who joined the business two years ago after spending more than a decade managing smaller passenger vehicles.
Ifti says around 90% of his current work remains tied to school transport, but the direction of travel is changing: ABC is now looking to grow its private hire, airport transfer and tour work substantially, with ambitions to bring that side of the business closer to the scale of its school transport operation.
“We want to see the private hire business on a similar level to what the school run business is,” comments Ifti.
“We have seen demand for it since the early days, but it was a case of us expanding the fleet and getting the right vehicles. That took a while, and we can cope with the majority of the bookings, but we still have to refuse a lot on the basis that demand exceeds supply.”
Fleet preferences
That private hire demand is influencing fleet strategy. The wider business operates more than 200 vehicles, it being involved also in luxury car hire, although Ifti oversees around 30 larger minicoaches and coaches, ranging from 16 to 37 seats.
The fleet includes 16-, 19-, 22-, 27- and 37-seat vehicles, alongside smaller 12- and 13-seat vehicles and wheelchair accessible options. Two 37-seat Yutong TC9s sit within the fleet, while ABC is also looking to take a step up with the potential purchase of a 55-seat Mercedes-Benz Tourismo. That would be the largest vehicle the business has operated and its purchase will have been directly influenced by the demand for private hire.
The choice to go with Mercedes-Benz continues a longstanding relationship with the OEM. In March, ABC took delivery of a brand-new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with UNVI bodywork via dealer Coachtraders.
That vehicle was also specifically chosen for the growing private hire and executive bookings market, and adds to a fleet of over 30 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, four of which were already UNVI conversions. Ifti says there is a great deal of faith in the Mercedes-Benz product; customers know the brand well and recognise it as a premium offering.
Broad mix of work
The mix of work sees ABC handling weddings, airport transfers, seaport transfers, music festivals, and it is now gearing up for rail replacement opportunities as well as private group movements and tour work.
Ifti says Southampton is a regular seaport destination, while the operator’s Berkshire base gives it proximity to Heathrow and Gatwick, supporting a strong airport transfer market. Ifti estimates that airport and seaport work alone accounts for 20-25% of the private hire business.
But tour work is an equally important target. ABC already handles bookings from specialist tour operators, and demand is particularly strong for its 16- to 20-seat vehicles. Those are well suited to small groups of international visitors from markets such as the USA, Australia and China, who respond well to how “adaptive” ABC as a minicoach operator can be to handling movements around the UK.
Word of mouth has been a powerful route to market. “You get known by your reputation,” says Ifti. “When tour providers are looking for coach operators, they question one another on their experiences. That’s how the word spreads; that type of marketing has been the best for us.”
ABC also uses aggregator platforms, Coach Hire Comparison being a well-known example, although Ifti says he hopes to reduce reliance on third-party channels as its own brand and direct hire pipeline grow. Work on making the business’ website attractive has already begun to help spread its digital wings.
The commercial case for doing all this is clear: while the school transport market provides dependable volume, Ifti notes that margins are under pressure. Local authority budgets remain tight, contracts are price-sensitive, and fuel increases are difficult to recover when school runs have been awarded fixed-price contracts. Private hire, by contrast, gives the business security through more flexible pricing.
On that topic, fuel is the biggest challenge facing the business, according to Ifti. “The school runs are contracted out at a certain price and we’re having to absorb all those additional fuel costs. Margins are dropping.”
Fleet growth ambitions
Although fuel challenges reinforce the attraction of private hire and tours, scaling up in those areas will require investment across the business. Ifti says that involves more than just buying additional vehicles; booking software, tracking systems, office capacity, maintenance provision, cleaning resources, staff numbers, and management processes all need to expand in parallel.
The business already keeps much of its operation in house. It has around 30 drivers on the minicoach and coach side, supported by three mechanics, two vehicle cleaning staff and an office team of eight. Ifti’s own responsibilities cover the daily management of school runs, drivers, vehicle maintenance, recruitment, marketing, and business generation. He is a busy man; the phone never seems to stop.
For now, the immediate focus is a practical one: more vehicles, better systems, stronger marketing and a larger share of private hire and tour work. Five years ago, Ifti says the operation had fewer than 10 large vehicles suited to such work.
The aim now is to grow that significantly, potentially to 70 or 80 vehicles in the coming years. Quality and reliability will be the focus, but green credentials are also playing a role in lead generation.
Educational transport will remain a core of ABC’s work, but the next chapter looks to be firmly outside the school gates.
