A proper employee shuttle quote must cover costs, vehicle uptime, insurance, and schedule flexibility, not just a monthly rate.
Why a vague quote is not enough
When you request a proposal for daily employee transport (Otopeni to downtown office, Baneasa to Piata Unirii, or multi-route shuttles), you often get just a number: "2,500 EUR per month" or "3 EUR per person". That tells you nothing about vehicle downtime, insurance coverage, or how pricing shifts in winter traffic. The result: contracts that spark disputes after three months and hidden costs that surface too late.
What you must ask in the RFP
1. Uptime guarantee and failover
Get a clear answer on this:
- What is the guaranteed uptime rate? (e.g. 99% of working days)
- If a vehicle breaks down, when does a replacement arrive? (15 min, 1 hour?)
- Who pays for alternative transport if the service lapses?
A serious provider should guarantee 99% route availability with a backup vehicle within 30 minutes max.
2. Insurance and liability
- What does the insurance policy cover? (passenger injury, property damage, third-party liability?)
- What is the per-incident cap?
- Who is the insurer and can you verify the policy?
- If an incident occurs, are you or the provider liable?
Do not accept vague answers. Request a policy copy or broker confirmation letter.
3. What is and is not included
Spell out what is priced in and what is not:
- Fuel: included or billed separately?
- Parking at office: who pays?
- Repairs and maintenance: who bears the cost?
- Driver absences (sick leave, vacation): how are these covered?
- Driver breaks: can the driver refuse a shift for their legal break?
4. Flexibility and seasonal swings
- What happens in winter when Sos. Bucuresti-Ploiesti adds 15 minutes to every trip?
- Do you pay more in bad seasons? How much?
- If your team goes remote for two weeks, does the rate drop?
- Can you suspend service for one or two months without penalty?
5. Pricing and escalation
- Is the rate fixed or indexed to external factors?
- If indexed, to what? (fuel, minimum wage, CPI?)
- What is the annual cap on increases?
- How much notice is required before a price rise?
6. Communication and reporting
- How do you learn a trip will be delayed? (SMS, app, email?)
- What monthly reports do you receive? (distance, hours, incidents, fuel?)
- Who is the emergency contact if a problem hits at 7:30 AM?
Red flags in the offer
- "Price on request" with no detail
- "Standard terms" followed by a refusal to clarify
- "No liability for delays" - tells you who you are dealing with
- Provider with no verifiable insurance policy
- One-sided penalty clauses favoring the vendor
How to negotiate better
A well-thought proposal is always cheaper in the long run. If a vendor tries to hide costs or will not guarantee uptime, that is a sign the contract relationship will be tense. Request three detailed quotes, ask the same questions to all three, and compare based on what is explicitly included, not nominal price alone.
If you need reliable daily shuttle service for your team, Shuttlevan can prepare a detailed corporate quote covering every point above. Request a quote now and know exactly what you are signing up for.
