FLF Taxi
School transport for municipalities and cities in Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme
Contract transport for education departments: the same driver, substitutes from our own staff, wheelchair-accessible vehicles and contractor liability documents ready.
School transport is a service organised by the municipality or city, and FLF is its operator. We serve education departments in Päijät-Häme, Kanta-Häme and Uusimaa, and respond to tenders for individual routes as well as whole areas. Our fleet includes wheelchair-accessible Volkswagen Caddy Maxi taxis, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter minivan taxis and cars, so both regular and accessible school rides can be driven under one contract.
Our drivers are our own employees. We are responsible for wages, training, holidays and substitutes, and drivers who work with children have a criminal background check. What matters most in school transport is that the child recognises the driver and the driver knows the route, so we aim to have the same driver on the same route for the whole school year. In case of illness the substitute comes from our own staff and receives the route details before the first run.
The price is based on the length of the route, the number of driving days, the size of the vehicle and accessibility needs, and on whether the route runs in the morning and afternoon only or also during the school day. We offer a route price or a contract price for the school year and invoice monthly. Contractor liability documents, insurance certificates and licences are delivered with the quote. At the end of this page we explain to parents how the practice usually works.
50+
drivers on our own payroll
30+
vehicles
3
regions
1+8
passengers in a minivan taxi
School transport for municipalities and cities
We respond to school transport tenders and small procurements. With the quote we deliver the documents the contracting authority needs without a separate request.
- Contractor liability documents: taxes, pension insurance, collective agreement and trade register extract.
- Criminal background checks for drivers working with children, plus taxi driver licences.
- Taxi operator licence and the traffic and passenger insurance required for the transport.
- Spare vehicles and substitute drivers from our own fleet and staff, so the route runs even in exceptional situations.
- One contact person for the duration of the contract and reporting as agreed, for example monthly routes driven and deviations.
Route planning and substitutes
Routes are planned together with the municipality based on the pupil list, school start times and timetables. The aim is to keep the child's travel time reasonable and to fit the morning and afternoon rides to the school schedule. When a timetable changes or a new pupil joins the route, we update the route on the municipality's notification and confirm the change in writing.
The same driver drives the same route whenever possible. When the regular driver is on holiday or ill, the substitute comes from our own staff, knows the route details and if needed first drives the route together with the regular driver. Deviations such as delays, weather-related slowdowns or a pupil missing from an agreed stop are reported to the contact person named by the municipality and, as agreed, to the school.
Wheelchair-accessible school rides
Our accessible Caddy Maxi taxis and Sprinter and Crafter minivan taxis have a wheelchair space, a lift or ramp, and wheelchair restraints with a seat belt. The driver assists into and out of the vehicle. Read more about our wheelchair-accessible taxi service.
- Wheelchair space of at least 0.75 × 1.10 m and interior height of 1.40–1.45 m in line with Traficom requirements.
- The driver secures the wheelchair and checks the seat belt before setting off.
- Escorting from the door to the vehicle and from the vehicle to the school door by arrangement.
- Accessible and regular school rides can be driven under the same contract.
Vehicles for school transport
All vehicles have seat belts on every seat. Child seats and booster seats are arranged according to the contract based on the pupils' age and size.
Volkswagen Caddy Maxi
Accessible taxi for small groups and individual pupils. Wheelchair space with a ramp or lift.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Accessible minivan taxi for 1+8 passengers. Suits longer routes and combined routes serving several schools.
Volkswagen Crafter
Accessible minivan taxi for 1+8 passengers. Room for mobility aids and equipment for school trips.
Cars
Toyota Corolla, Kia Niro and other hybrid or electric cars for short routes and individual pupils.
Information for parents
Who drives my child? The school transport driver is an FLF employee with a taxi driver licence and the criminal background check required for working with children. We aim to have the same driver on the route for the whole school year, and any substitute comes from our own staff. The driver's name and the vehicle details are communicated in the way agreed with the municipality before the school year starts.
How is the driver recognised? The vehicles are taxis with FLF Taxi markings, and the driver introduces themselves on the first run. In many municipalities the pupil is told the make and colour of the vehicle and the driver's name in advance. A child does not get into an unknown car, and the driver does not take a child who is not on the route's pupil list.
How are absences reported? The practice is agreed with the municipality: usually the parent reports an absence directly to the driver or to a number given by the municipality before the morning pick-up, so the driver does not wait unnecessarily and the other pupils stay on schedule. Timetable changes and new addresses always go through the municipality, because the municipality orders the transport.
School transport in Hämeenlinna and Kanta-Häme
In recent years the City of Hämeenlinna has been looking for new operators for its school transport, and contracts in the area have been reorganised. FLF is ready to offer school transport to Hämeenlinna and the municipalities of Kanta-Häme, for individual routes as well as larger packages. We already operate taxi services in the area, so our drivers know the city centre, the Hauho, Lammi, Renko and Kalvola directions, and the surroundings of the railway station and Verkatehdas.
In Kanta-Häme we also serve the Hyvinkää and Riihimäki area. On Riihimäki and Hyvinkää routes we combine rides where useful so that accessible and regular rides are handled with the same fleet and the same contact person.
School transport in Lahti and Päijät-Häme
Our Lahti depot on Asentajankatu is the home base of our school transport. Vehicles leave from Lahti in the morning, so routes to schools in Lahti, Hollola, Heinola and the neighbouring municipalities start without a long positioning drive. Our drivers know the drop-off arrangements at the schools and the effect of winter conditions on the roads around Salpausselkä.
In Päijät-Häme we also drive rides under the Disability Services Act and the Social Welfare Act as a contract partner, so using accessible vehicles and assisting passengers is everyday work for our drivers. The same skills are used in accessible school rides.
How a request for quotation proceeds
- 01
Request for quotation or contact
Send the request, the tender documents or a short description of the routes. Tell us the number of pupils, the schools, the timetables and accessibility needs.
- 02
Sizing routes and vehicles
We go through the routes, size the vehicles and drivers, and check how accessible rides are combined with other routes.
- 03
Quote and documents
We deliver the quote together with contractor liability documents, licences and insurance certificates. Usually within a few working days, faster for small routes.
- 04
Contract and start
We agree contact persons, notification practices and reporting. Drivers are familiarised with the routes before the school year starts.
Pricing
The price of school transport is based on the length and duration of the route, the number of driving days, the size of the vehicle and accessibility needs. We usually offer a route price or a contract price for the school year and invoice monthly. Prices for municipalities are quoted excluding VAT.
Route price
A fixed price per route driven per day. Suits tenders where the routes are defined.
Contract price
A total price for the school year or contract period for the agreed routes, with changes handled by an agreed mechanism.
Hourly price
Excursions, swimming hall rides and temporary transport during the school day charged by the hour.
Request a quote for school transport
Send a request for quotation or ask informally. We usually reply the same working day, and the quote does not commit the municipality.
Frequently asked questions
Who can order school transport?
School transport is ordered by the municipality or city, usually the education department, and FLF operates as the municipality's contract partner. An individual parent does not order a school ride from us directly but contacts the body responsible for school transport in their own municipality. The municipality decides on the entitlement and informs us of the pupils on the route.
Do the drivers have a criminal background check?
Yes. Drivers working with children have a criminal background check, and all of them hold a taxi driver licence. The drivers are our own employees, so the checks, training and induction are our responsibility, not a subcontractor's. The documents are delivered to the contracting authority with the quote or on request.
How are illness and substitutes handled?
The substitute comes from our own staff and has the same licences and background check as the regular driver. The substitute receives the route details, the pupil list and the stops before the first run. The municipality's contact person is informed of the change of driver as agreed. Spare vehicles come from our own fleet.
Can accessible rides be driven under the same contract?
Yes. Our fleet includes accessible Caddy Maxi taxis and Sprinter and Crafter minivan taxis, so pupils who use a wheelchair can be placed on the same route or on their own route under the same contract. This simplifies the municipality's administration, with one operator and one contact person.
How is school transport priced?
The price is based on the length and duration of the route, the number of driving days, the size of the vehicle and accessibility needs. The most common models are a route price per day and a contract price for the school year. Excursions and temporary rides are priced by the hour. Send us the tender documents or a route description and we will calculate the price.
Do you also operate in Hyvinkää and Riihimäki?
Yes. Hyvinkää and Riihimäki are part of our operating area, and we already run taxi services there. We can offer school transport for routes in both cities and the neighbouring municipalities, combined with other Kanta-Häme routes under the same contact person where useful.
Ask about school transport for your municipality
Send a request for quotation or ask informally. We deliver the quote and the contractor liability documents at the same time.