The attention of passengers is drawn to the following conditions of carriage which apply to the services operated by us (Centrebus Ltd, Centrebus Holdings Ltd, Eric W Bowers Ltd, Centrebus North Ltdtd and subsidiary businesses – referred to in this document as “Centrebus”), or our agents of any ticket for carriage aboard any bus or coach operated by us.
In particular, your attention is drawn to the following customer information:
- Our priority is to ensure the safety and comfort of our customers and staff. Please show full consideration for the safety and comfort of others; follow any instructions given to you by our staff, and observe all relevant notices in vehicles.
- You must have a valid ticket or pass for your journey; and you must present this to any member of our staff when requested. Failure to do so will result in the imposition of a "Standard Fare" of £20. You may also face prosecution.
- Our staff have the right to work without fear of assault or intimidation. We will prosecute anybody who does not respect this right.
- Your journey is subject to our Conditions of Carriage. These set out your rights and obligations as a customer.
Local Bus & Contract Services – Conditions of Carriage
Tickets
1.1 Passengers, on paying the correct fare, will be issued a ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card showing the amount they have paid and the period of validity of such a ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card.
1.2 The acceptance by a passenger of a ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card issued by us or our agents in exchange for the payment of any applicable fare shall be held to constitute a contract between you and us on the terms of these Conditions of Carriage.
1.3 Where a concessionary pass has been issued to you, a contract has been entered into between us and the issuing authority for your benefit pursuant to these Conditions of Carriage.
1.4 On issuing a ticket to you it is important that you check the details contained in the ticket are correct immediately on receipt including the fare paid, the date of travel, the destination recorded as well as any monetary change given to you. In the event of any discrepancy it is important that you bring this to the attention of the ticket issuer immediately as we cannot rectify any errors made at a later date. When a driver has insufficient coins to return any change due, a change voucher may be issued in lieu of this change, which can be used as a voucher against future purchases, or to claim the change due at a Company office.
1.5 It is the duty of every passenger to retain their ticket until the journey for which the ticket was issued has been concluded and to allow any company official of Centrebus to inspect your ticket at any time during your journey.
1.6 Where ordinary return tickets are offered, they are normally available between the same stage points as the related single fare. A return ticket may be used over the whole or part of the route for which it was originally issued but is not valid for two single journeys in the same direction of travel. Return tickets will only be issued from the boarding stage of the outward journey.
1.7 No single or return ticket issued by us guarantees travel on any particular vehicle or at any particular time and no accommodation is reserved on any of our vehicles at the time of paying your fare.
1.8 We operate our vehicles on a first come first served basis and shall have no liability to you whatsoever if you cannot travel due to the fact that the vehicle you did intend to travel on is already full to capacity.
1.9 Unless otherwise indicated, return tickets issued on the bus are “day returns” valid only for a single return journey on the date of issue.
1.10 No passenger shall attempt to use any ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card issued by us or our subsidiaries or agents which has been:
(a) altered or defaced;
(b) issued to another person unless such ticket bears thereon an indication that it is transferable;
(c) issued for a different journey or on a different date and/or time;
(d) has expired; or
(e) is illegible.
1.11 No refund will be made for lost, stolen or defaced return tickets. It is the responsibility of the passenger to ensure that the return portion of the ticket is valid on the vehicle that they intend to use.
1.12 Passengers should be aware that it is a criminal offence to use altered or counterfeit tickets with the intention of deceiving employees of Centrebus. Where we suspect such deception is intended or has taken place then we shall have no hesitation in informing the police and seeking the prosecution of any offence.
1.13 A deposit scheme is operated for the issue of smart cards by Centrebus. A deposit will be applied to all smart card ticket prices, refundable upon return of the card in working condition when it is no longer required.
Payment of Fares
2.1 Where a CHILD FARE or age dependant concessionary ticket is requested, we reserve the right to request proof of age if we have reasonable grounds to raise issue with the age of the passenger. Where such information is not supplied we may at our sole discretion seek payment of the full ADULT FARE and subsequent proof of age will not entitle any individual to a refund of the difference between the CHILD FARE and ADULT FARE.
2.2 Passengers boarding a bus at an intermediate point in which no set fare has been fixed will be charged the relevant fare rate from the previous fare stage.
2.3 Passengers requesting a ticket to an intermediate point in which no fare has been fixed will be charged to the fare stage beyond.
2.4 We will make reasonable endeavours to bring to your attention general information indicating changes to our fare table in advance on our websites. However individual fare changes may be subject to alteration without notice.
2.5 Passengers travelling in areas where zonal fares apply will pay the appropriate fare for the number of zones travelled in or through.
2.6 Able bodied adult passengers unable to tender their fare, or provide a valid ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card, will not be carried, but in the interest of safety and public relations children, elderly, disabled and other potentially vulnerable persons will not be left stranded when they have no means of payment for their fares.
2.7 In the event that you cannot for whatever reason produce a valid ticket, pass, warrant, magnetic card or smart card, pass or permit for inspection on demand whilst travelling on any of our vehicles, you will be required to pay a standard fare of £10. This sum is payable on demand by an inspector or other company official.
2.8 Should you not be in a position to pay the standard fare on demand you must provide us with your name and address and evidence of your identity so that we may correspond with you regarding payment of the fare as well as any other costs (including legal costs and expenses) we reasonably incur in collecting payment from you. Failure to pay the standard fare requested may lead to court proceedings & recovery as a civil debt.
2.9 You will not be entitled to repayment of the standard fare if you later are able to produce a valid ticket for the journey in question.
Maintenance of Service / Limitation of Liability
3.1 We aim to provide a safe and reliable service. However, we occasionally cannot run our advertised services, sometimes because of factors which are outside our control, such as adverse weather conditions or unpredictable delays caused by traffic congestion, road works or diversions.
3.2 In the event of the cancellation or withdrawal or delay or termination of any service or in the event of the service being otherwise unavailable to you due to the service being fully occupied or otherwise, we shall not be liable for any losses damage costs or inconvenience that you suffer as a result.
3.3 We do not in any way exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury resulting from our negligence, nor are your statutory rights as a consumer affected.
Children’s Fares
4.1 Children under five years of age
Children under five years of age, if not occupying a seat required by a fare paying passenger or pass holder, are carried free of charge, provided they are in the care of a fare paying or pass holding passenger, otherwise the appropriate child fare will be charged.
4.2 Discounts for older children
Subject to section 2.1, a reduction on the rate charged for older children is available in most areas, and on most services. The exact nature of these is advertised locally, and the amount of discount varies. A summary of current reductions is given below.
Bedfordshire – children under 14^ – Approximately 30% discount*
*a flat fare scheme operates in Luton & Dunstable