About

The 846 route is run by volunteers, enabling at least 75 children living outside of Bedford to get a bus to and from school every day. Each of us are parents ensuring the bus runs alongside our day jobs.

Your Parent Volunteer Team

Chloe, Andrew & Rachel are your committee members and are responsible for keeping the school bus running.

Andrew Saunders

  • Waiting list enquiries
  • Ticket applications & issuing
  • Deposit and payment processing
treasurer@sheffordbus.co.uk

Chloe Wilshin

  • Chairperson
  • Contract negotiation lead
  • Behaviour and related issues
chair@sheffordbus.co.uk

Rachel Campbell

  • General communications
  • Other enquiries

support@sheffordbus.co.uk

If you wish to make an application for your child to join the 846 bus, or to renew an existing pass, please take a little time to read our Rules and Constitution below.

Our Rules


 These rules form part of and are to be read with the Constitution of the Association (below).

  1. The Object of the Association is set out in Clause 2 of the Constitution.
  2. It is intended that the administrative arrangements will be kept to a minimum to avoid a heavy workload on the Officers and that the Association will be managed by a Committee as set out in the Constitution.
  3. Only parents/guardians (“Members”) of the Association will be eligible to vote at any meeting of the Association.  For voting purposes, the purchase of one pass (whether one- or two-way) shall entitle one Member to vote.  
  4. The cost of the Service will be agreed between the bus operator and the Committee.  The Treasurer will notify Members of the cost of each pass agreed by the Committee for the forthcoming year.  Payment must be made to the Treasurer in accordance with the rules set out in that year’s application form.  Payment is to be made in one lump sum and there is no differentiation between junior and senior passengers.  The Treasurer will issue receipts on request.  The cost of the Service shall reflect the cost of travel by public transport for a similar number of passengers, taking into consideration the following facts: a) the Service is a dedicated one for the specified Bedford schools; and b) the route and timetable are designed to meet the needs of the pupils of those schools; and c) each route has regular drivers; and d) there are additional facilities on the bus which are not necessarily found on public transport such as CCTV.  The Association’s policy is that all passengers must remain seated throughout the journey. Vaping, eating and drinking (with the exception of medicines and still water) are forbidden on the bus. It is each passenger’s individual responsibility to ensure that they comply with this rule. e) For the purposes of calculating fares and refunds, it is assumed that all school terms are of equal length
  5. Seats will initially be allocated to those who were on the service the previous year who submit an application and pay on time, then to siblings of existing passengers and then those on the waiting list, and after that on a first come, first served basis. There is a charge of £100 to join the waiting list; those who have paid the £100 will have their first year's fare reduced accordingly. If parents of a child on the waiting list decline an offer of a place on the bus, the waiting list charge will be forfeited. Any Member (& any passenger) joining part-way through a year will pay a proportion of the total charge as determined by the Committee.  Members are required to give at least one term’s notice of their intention to withdraw a passenger from the Service.   If notice is given on or before the first day of the term, at the end of which the passenger is going to be withdrawn, then they will be refunded for the number of complete terms outstanding. No refunds will be issued in respect of part of a term, and no refunds will be issued until and unless the bus pass has returned to the Association.  If there is insufficient support for the Service to continue, Members will be notified as early as possible.
  6. The number of tickets sold will not exceed the number of seats on the bus, so that every passenger should always have a seat. The Committee's decision as to who sits in which seat is final. The Committee will have the right to allocate specified seats to each passenger. If the Committee choose not to do so, then passengers cannot reserve particular seats for themselves or their friends.
  7. Any deficit will be recovered by an immediate additional charge pro-rated among the Members.  Any surplus at the end of any Financial Year may, in the absolute discretion of the Committee (such discretion not to be exercised unreasonably) be refunded on a pro rata basis to Members who purchased a pass in that Financial Year such amount as the Committee considers appropriate.
  8. All receipts and payments will be paid through an Association Account at one of the major clearing banks.  All payments from the Account will require the signature of two Officers.  
  9. All bank statements and records maintained by the Officers will be available for inspection by any Member on reasonable notice.
  10. The Service will operate on a five-day week basis.
  11. The route and timetable will remain the same from year to year unless otherwise agreed between the Committee and the bus operator.  Any material change will only be implemented after consultation with Members either by letter or at the Annual General Meeting.  
  12. A Bus Pass (also called the Association Membership Card) will be issued to each passenger.  The pass must be available on the bus at all times and shown on demand to any member of the Committee or bus operator’s staff.  
  13. On receipt of a complaint, the Committee may suspend any passenger until the Committee has had the opportunity to meet (which may include a virtual meeting by Skype, conference call or similar) to consider fully the alleged misbehaviour.  The Committee shall consider carefully the nature of the complaint and allow the complainant, the accused and other passengers and Members the opportunity to make representations to the Committee in person or in writing as the Committee shall reasonably decide.  At that point the Committee may: a) impose a further period of suspension; b) treat any period of suspension as “time served” and allow the passenger(s) back on to the bus; or c) (in cases of serious or repeated misbehaviour) bar the passenger(s) from the Association’s Service and revoke their bus pass without refund.  
  14. The Committee regards serious misbehaviour as including (but not limited to) fighting, taking the possessions of others without permission, causing harm or damage to individuals (whether other passengers, staff of the bus operator or otherwise) and/or property, conduct that might put the well-being or safety of others at risk, behaviour which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any actions motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender, and any behaviour of a similar nature. The making of malicious complaints and/or accusations in bad faith shall be treated in the same way as serious misbehaviour.  
  15. Members will be expected to co-operate with the Committee in ending unacceptable behaviour on the Service.  The Association will endeavour to address all complaints at any early stage, and may seek support or advice from an outside agency, the schools of the passengers concerned and / or delegate authority to an Officer to speak directly to any passenger (and in particular senior school passengers) in an attempt to determine appropriate course of action.


Our Constitution


  1.  The name of the Association shall be the “Shefford and District Bus Association” (the “Association”). 
  2. The object of the Association shall be to operate a reliable bus service (the “Service”) to Bedford for pupils of Shefford and District attending the Harpur Trust and other independent schools in Bedford, to enable children (passengers) to be transported safely and punctually to and from each school.
  3. The Committee may admit as a Member of the Association any parent/guardian of a pupil/passenger participating in the Service.
  4. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association shall be held within three months of the end of the financial year to receive the Annual Report of the Committee, consider the Accounts and elect Officers.
  5. The Chair of the Committee may at their discretion call an Ordinary General Meeting.  The Chair shall call an Ordinary General Meeting within 14 days of receiving a written request signed by no less than five Members
  6. At the AGM, Members shall appoint a Chair and Treasurer and such other Officers as they may decide.  The positions of Chair and Treasurer shall not be occupied by the same person.  Casual vacancies among the Officers shall be filled by the Committee until the next annual appointment of Officers. Committee members are drawn from the Members.
  7. The Association shall be managed by a Committee consisting of the Officers.  The Committee may co-opt not more than three Members to serve upon the Committee.  Co-opted Members shall serve for such periods as the Committee may decide.
  8. The Committee may exclude any passenger from further participation in the Service in the event of serious misbehaviour or for any other just cause.  In this event, all monies paid to the Association on behalf of the passenger are liable to be forfeited to the Association.
  9.  a) The Chair or other person presiding over any meeting shall have a second or casting vote; b) A quorum at any General Meeting of the Association shall be five Members, and at any Committee meeting shall be two Officers; c) Minutes of Association meetings shall be kept
  10.  a) The Financial Year of the Association is 1 August to 31 July; b) The  Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association; c) Members shall pay such subscriptions as the Committee may decide; d) Any income or property of the Association shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the Object of the Association; e) At the end of each Financial Year, the accounts may be audited by a Member; f) The Chair and Treasurer shall be entitled to 100% discount on one pass and the other Officers shall be entitled to a 50% discount.
  11. If the Committee decides on the grounds of expense or otherwise that the Association should be dissolved, it shall call a Special General Meeting by giving 21 days’ notice in writing to each Member setting out the terms of any resolution to be proposed.  If a simple majority vote decides that the Association’s affairs shall be terminated, the Officers may dissolve the Association.  Any assets remaining after payment of liabilities shall be returned to the Members.
  12. This Constitution may be amended by simple majority vote at any General Meeting of the Association notified to Members in writing not less than 14 days in advance stating the proposed terms.
  13. Routine operation of the Association shall be in accordance with the Rules which form part of the Constitution of the Association.  
  14. In accepting membership of the Association on behalf of their child, each Member shall assume full responsibility for the behaviour of their child/children whilst using the Service.  Members shall indemnify the Association, its individual officers and the Committee against any damage and consequences of such damage caused by their child/children participating in the Service.  This indemnity shall be without limitation and in particular shall cover death, permanent injury and damage or destruction of property.
  15. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (EU) 2016/679, personal data about members and those travelling on the bus will be stored in password-protected computers and electronic devices. If these details need to be transferred between computers/devices by email or other methods, they will be stored in password-protected files. Documents containing personal data (e.g. application forms and photos) will be stored securely; and when no longer required will be shredded and then incinerated.
  16. This Constitution was adopted at General Meetings held in October 1991 and November 1993.  Minor re-wording and changes to accord with practical administration were approved at the November 1999, November 2003, October 2010, October 2014, October 2018, October 2019, and October 2021 AGMs.

AGM

Find our latest AGM minutes below.