About Barker Bus

Our story since 1988

Our story began around 1988 with Peter, his late mother Shirley, one minibus and a school run. What started as a small family venture has grown into the coach business we are proud of today, built on hard work, dedication and a genuine passion for what we do.

Over the years more members of the family have joined the business, helping us grow, expand our fleet and continually improve the services we offer. Along the way we have sadly lost some very special family members who played an important part in our journey. Their hard work, love and contributions will never be forgotten, and their legacy remains at the heart of everything we do. Today Peter and his sons continue to build on the foundations laid by those who came before them, carrying the family business forward with the same commitment and pride.

From our early school runs to continental tours, holidays and journeys further afield, we are incredibly proud of how far Barker Bus has come. While the business has grown, we have always believed in moving with the times, investing in our fleet, improving our services and giving our customers a safe, comfortable and reliable journey.

As we look to the future, one thing will never change: our family values. We believe in treating our customers as individuals, building lasting relationships and providing the friendly, personal service that only a family run business can offer.

From one minibus and a school run to a growing coach business, the Barker Bus story is one of family, dedication and a passion for taking people places.

Our workshop and engineers

Every vehicle is maintained on site at Roydon by our own IRTEC qualified engineers. A fault gets dealt with that day, rather than waiting its turn at a third party garage, which is the main reason our vehicles turn up when they are supposed to.

Servicing, safety inspections and MOT preparation all happen in our own workshop, and the records are kept here. We run six weekly inspections in house, with brake rollers, ramps and lifts on site.

The people who run it

• Peter, Managing Director and Transport Manager, holds the Certificate of Professional Competence in Passenger Transport and comes from an engineering background.
• Matt holds the same Certificate of Professional Competence, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and came in from IT.
• Luke trained as a mechanic, holds an IRTEC licence for bus and coach inspection and has completed OLAT operator training.

All three drive, and all three are in the office, so the person quoting your journey has done it themselves.

Safety and compliance

Schools, clubs and companies ask for this before they book, so it is set out plainly rather than buried.

• Operator licencePF1123987
• DriversDBS checked.
• MaintenanceIRTEC qualified engineers, on site at Roydon.
• AccessibilityPSVAR compliant vehicles in the working fleet.
• SafeguardingOur staff are trained, experienced and up to speed on our latest safeguarding policies.
• InspectionsSix weekly safety inspections, carried out in our own workshop.
• EquipmentBrake rollers, vehicle ramps, lifts, beam aimer, diagnostics and more.
• InsuranceWe hold the appropriate motor, public liability and employers liability insurance.
• MembershipMembers of the Road Haulage Association, which keeps us up to speed and compliant within the industry.

What people say

Risk assessment

Schools and community groups usually need our risk assessment before a booking is signed off. Rather than making you ring for it, it sits here where a teacher or a trip organiser can find it.

Download the risk assessment (PDF)