Richards Bros is a family company and holds cutomers to the highest respect. We have a dedicated team of staff, that together, aim to provide a great service.

 

The Conditions of Carriage set out customers’ rights, restrictions on those rights and obligations as a customer of Richards Bros. They are the Conditions under which Richards Bros carries any person and their property and apply to any ticket issued by Richards Bros and any contract to carry any person or their property entered into by Richards Bros.

 

 

Introduction

When you buy any type of ticket for travel on a local bus or coach service provided by Richards Bros’s UK Bus operating businesses, you enter into a contract with us. The Conditions of Carriage described in this document (the "Conditions") reflect both our and your legal obligations under that contract.

 

These Conditions do not apply to services provided for or on behalf of Transport for London. They also do not apply to any ticket bought from us that enables you to travel on services provided by another operator, in which case you are subject to the conditions of that operator whilst travelling on their services.

 

These Conditions are governed by the law of Wales and the United Kingdom, as applicable. Any Condition subsequently found by a court or competent authority to be invalid does not affect the validity of the others. None of our employees are permitted to vary these Conditions in any way.

 

The terms of these Conditions do not undermine or affect any other legal rights you may have under statute (including but not limited to the Consumer Rights Act 2015).

 

 

General Conditions

We aim to operate services as advertised in our timetables but there may be occasions when journeys take longer than expected and/or services may need to be diverted or cancelled due to factors beyond our control. These factors may include, without limitation, traffic congestion, road traffic accidents, road works, road closures, major public events, adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

 

Where possible, we will advise you of any disruption to our services in advance. However, this may not always be possible or feasible and we shall not be liable to you as a result of any failure to provide notice of any amendment to our services as planned or scheduled.

 

You are responsible for your own onward travel arrangements. We cannot guarantee that our service will connect with any bus, train or other services at the time specified in the timetable. Passengers should make suitable allowance or alternative arrangements to ensure you are able to make any onward travel arrangements.

 

We accept no liability for a holder of a valid pre-paid ticket or valid pass being unable to use such ticket or pass due to lack of room on a vehicle, or where it is at full capacity or failure of a service to operate. Passengers holding a valid pass or valid pre-paid ticket do not have priority over other passengers.

 

 

Fares and Ticketing

 

Upon boarding our vehicles, you must either pay the correct fare for the journey you intend to take; or show the driver a valid printed or QR electronic ticket, pass, permit, smartcard or other form of authority for that journey. The driver can advise on the best ticket to suit you. Full details of our ticket range, how and where to buy them and any terms and conditions that apply to specific types of ticket or travel product are available on the Richards Brosbus.co.uk website for:

 

• Day Explorer Ticket

• Family Day Explorer Ticket

• Weekly Explorer Ticket

• 12 Trip Ticket

• West Wales Day Rover Ticket

• West Wales Weekly Rover Ticket

 

TrawsCymru mobile tickets also have their own terms & conditions found on the TrawsCymru app while browsing or purchasing.

 

You must safely retain your ticket, pass, permit, smartcard or other authority to travel for the duration of your journey and present it on request to an inspector or any other Richards Bros official. If you fail to do so or present any form of ticket that is out of date or has been altered, defaced or damaged in any way, you will be liable to pay the full fare for the journey you are making. This includes in any circumstances where you are unable to show an activated QR TrawsCymru ticket, for example, if your mobile phone has been lost or there is insufficient battery power. Your should therefore ensure the battery on your mobile phone (or alternative device) is sufficiently charged for the entirety of your journey.

 

Cash fares are calculated in accordance with a table showing fare stages at named stopping places along the line of the route. If you get on or off the vehicle at any stop other than a fare stage, you will be charged from the preceding stage from where you board and/or to the next stage after where you get off. If zonal fares apply (in this case Bwcabus) you will be charged according to the number of zones you

travel through. Debit or credit card payments will be accepted on buses where available, this will be shown on the bus ticket machine.

 

You must ensure that any ticket purchased on the bus is issued to you directly from the ticket machine and shows the correct fare you have paid for the journey you are making. You should also check your change and point out any error to the driver immediately as we cannot correct mistakes later. If the driver has insufficient change, you may phone our main Cradigan office on 01239 613756 to see if you need to be issued a refund. We will not redeem change vouchers that have been defaced or altered in any way.

 

Unless our publicity specifically permits it, you may not break your journey when travelling on a cash ticket; or transfer any type of ticket to someone other than the person they are issued to. Multi-journey tickets cannot be used by more than one person during the same journey.

 

For some journeys, you may buy a return ticket. Return tickets are valid only on the day of purchase, unless clearly advertised otherwise, and may have time restrictions on their validity. It is your responsibility to check the validity and conditions of any return ticket purchased. Return tickets should be purchased from the driver of the bus on the outward journey and presented to the driver of the bus on the return journey. Return tickets are not transferable.

 

If you transfer from another operator’s vehicle to one of our vehicles, you will be considered to be starting a new journey. Unless you produce a valid pass, valid pre-paid ticket or valid through ticket to the driver, you will be required to purchase a new ticket at the appropriate fare.

 

You are responsible for the safety and integrity of their own tickets and passes once validly issued. We are not obliged to replace a lost, mislaid or stolen ticket or pass. In such circumstances, you will be required to purchase a new ticket to be able to use our services.

 

We reserve the right to refuse any person boarding or travel on our services if we have reasonable cause to suspect fraudulent or unlawful conduct is or will occur.

 

Children under five years of age may travel at no charge provided they are accompanied by a fare-paying passenger and do not occupy a seat.

 

Any child or adult unable to pay the fare on boarding and who would, in the driver’s opinion, be left at risk will be carried at all times subject to providing their name and address to enable the fare due to be collected at a later date.

 

 

Concessionary Travel

Concessionary travel schemes for many categories of passenger are operated by local authorities in Wales. The terms, rules and conditions applying to these schemes are the responsibility of, and the validity of individual passes is determined by, the local authority issuing the pass.

 

Concessionary passengers must comply with all aspects of these Conditions, in addition to any rules and conditions of the authority issuing the pass. When making a journey using a concessionary travel pass you must advise the driver of your intended destination.

 

If you hold a valid concessionary travel pass, you must show it to the driver every time you travel with us. You will be required to present your pass to the on-board ticket equipment to confirm the validity of the pass. In the event your concessionary pass is not considered valid by our on-board ticketing equipment you may be required to purchase a standard fare.

 

If we have reasonable grounds for suspecting that a concessionary pass is being misused in any way, we reserve the right to pass the details of the pass holder on to the relevant local authority and/or refuse further travel.

 

 

Your conduct

A passenger on a public service vehicle must not:

 

(a) use any door for a purpose other than that which is indicated by a notice unless under the direction or authority of a driver, inspector or conductor

 

(b) endanger the safety of or cause discomfort to or impede anyone who is travelling on the vehicle, or boarding or alighting from it

 

(c) endanger the safety of or cause discomfort to or impede the driver or conductor, inspector or any employee of the operator who is working on the vehicle

 

(d) trail or throw anything from the vehicle

 

(e) distribute anything (eg paper, printed matter) which either seeks or gives information or seeks comments unless with the permission of the operator

 

(f) offer anything for sale unless with the permission of the operator

 

(g) cause distraction by speaking to the driver while the vehicle is moving unless in emergency or to deal with matters of safety or to give directions in respect of stopping the vehicle

 

(h) distract the driver or obstruct his vision

 

(i) give a signal which the driver may believe to be a signal to stop in emergency or a signal to start the vehicle

 

(j) travel in any section of the vehicle which is not available for carrying passengers

 

(k) when instructed otherwise by the driver, conductor or an inspector, stay on the vehicle where:

 

(i) the vehicle is full

 

(ii) the passenger has caused a nuisance

 

(iii) the passenger’s condition is offensive to other passengers

 

(iv) the passenger’s clothing is of such condition that it might soil the clothing of others or the fittings of the vehicle

 

Paragraphs (l)(ii), (iii) and (iv) shall not apply where the reasons are based solely on the grounds that a passenger is a disabled person.

 

(l) use or play any noisy musical instrument (including radio, tape recorder etc) which may cause annoyance to others on the vehicle

 

(m) deliberately interfere with the vehicle’s fitted equipment.

 

 

Your safety and comfort

We want all our customers to be safe during their journey. For this reason, you should observe any instructions given to you by our staff in relation to the operation of the vehicle and its overall capacity. In particular, you must not:

 

Board or alight from the vehicle at any unsafe corners.

 

Leave unattended any small children or babies in pushchairs whilst on the vehicle.

 

Please advise our staff as soon as possible if:

 

You sustain any injury whist on the vehicle or if you feel unwell during your journey – they will arrange for medical assistance if necessary.

 

You see any suspicious items or behaviour – but take care not to endanger yourself.

 

If you see an abandoned bag or package, or any item which you consider suspicious you should notify the driver immediately. You should not make any attempts to touch, move or dispose of the item yourself, however, don’t ignore it! Tell the driver straight away.

 

When you wish to get off the bus, please ring the bell once to alert the driver. For your comfort and safety, please give the driver sufficient time to be able to slow down properly for your stop. For your safety, and that of others, do not attempt to leave your seat or the vehicle until the driver brings it to a complete stop.

 

At bus stands and stations, passengers cannot be picked up once the driver has signalled his intention for the vehicle to leave the stand.

 

All customers are required, for the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency in Wales, to comply with the applicable UK Government guidance when travelling on our vehicles and any instructions given to them by our driver or via the signage on our buses.

 

 

WHEELCHAIR USERS AND OTHER DISABLED PERSONS

The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI No 1724) place specific duties on drivers and conductors in respect of wheelchair users and other disabled persons. This applies to regulated public service vehicles that have been issued with accessibility certificates by virtue of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (SI No 1970).

 

Wheelchair users

When on a regulated public service vehicle there is unoccupied wheelchair space, a wheelchair user must be allowed to board the vehicle so long as:

 

• the wheelchair can be safely positioned in the wheelchair space by nature of its size and type

 

• the maximum authorised seating and standing capacity of the vehicle are not exceeded.

 

A wheelchair space is deemed to be occupied if there is already a wheelchair user in that space, or where a passenger or a passenger’s possessions are already in that space and cannot be fairly moved to somewhere else on the vehicle.

 

 

A driver and a conductor must see that:

• where a portable ramp is required by virtue of Schedule 1 of the regulations, it is carried on the vehicle when operating a local or scheduled service

 

• boarding lifts and ramps, and portable ramps are in their normal position and are firmly stowed while the vehicle is being driven

 

• controls that are capable of operating a boarding lift or boarding ramp in the event of power failure are carried on the vehicle when operating a local or scheduled service

 

• wheelchair users are able to get into and out of a wheelchair space

 

• a vehicle is not driven off before a wheelchair user is correctly and safely positioned in the wheelchair space

 

• any retractable rail or other device is in position to restrain the lateral movement of the wheelchair before the vehicle is driven off

 

• in the case of a forward-facing wheelchair, the appropriate restraint system is attached

 

• where there is a seat in the wheelchair space that can be removed or dismantled it is stowed safely when not being used and is in its correct position when in use.

 

 

Luggage

 

Folded bicycles should ideally be carried in a suitable carrying bag or holdall to reduce the risk of injury or damage to other passengers and their property. Unfolded bicycles are not carried in any circumstances.

 

We do not accept explosive, hazardous or combustible materials or items likely to present a danger to other passengers, our staff or the vehicle. Liquids, including hot drinks and paint, must be carried in correct and sealed containers and kept stable at all times.

 

 

LOST PROPERTY

 

Regulations regarding lost property on public service vehicles are contained in the PSV (Lost Property) Regulations 1978 (SI 1978 No. 1684) as amended by the PSV (Lost Property) (Amendment) Regulations 1995 (SI 1995 No. 185).

 

Any person who finds lost property, which has been left accidentally on a public service vehicle must:

 

(a) hand it to the conductor (or driver) or, where this is not practicable

 

(b) deliver it to the operator’s lost property office (it must not be taken to a police station).

 

 

The conductor (or driver) is required to search the vehicle for lost property either before or on termination of a journey, where practicable.

Any lost property found by or handed to the conductor (or driver) must be:

 

(a) handed in for safe custody within 24 hours or

 

(b) returned to anyone claiming such lost property provided that the conductor (or driver) is satisfied as to the ownership of the property.

 

(Where articles are returned in this way the facts must be reported to the operator, including the claimant’s name and address, together with a description of the article or articles claimed [no charge is to be made]).

 

Please hand any item of lost property that you find on our vehicles or premises to the driver or other members of our staff. We will do all we reasonably can to locate the owner and return it to them. If the lost property is contained in a package, bag or other container, we may open it and examine it to assist us in tracing the owner or identifying the nature and value of the property.

 

We hold lost property for three months apart from items that are either perishable or become objectionable and need to be disposed of sooner.

 

Lost property can be claimed through our offices between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday and 08:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays and we will check to see whether any particular items have been handed in to our depots . You will need to give a full description of the item and details of the journey that you lost it on. You may also be asked to show a form of identification to claim high value items.

 

 

CCTV and Data Protection

CCTV is used on our vehicles and premises to record images and, in some cases, sound for security and crime prevention purposes. This data may be passed to the police and prosecuting authorities to provide evidence in legal proceedings. Our CCTV equipment and systems are operated in full accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

 

 

Contacting us

 

Our Office hours are 08:00am - 17:00pm Monday - Friday. Open on Saturday's from 08:00am - 11:00am.

 

You can find updated timetables on our Wesbite www.richardsbros.co.uk or our social media Richards Bros.

 

Or you can write to us at:

 

Richards Bros, Moylgrive Garage, Pentood Industrial Estate, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 3AG

 

Email: enquiries@richardsbros.co.uk. Website: www.richardsbros.co.uk.

 

 

Unresolved complaints can be referred to

Bus Users UK,

Po Box 1045

Cardiff

CF11 1JE

Tel: 029 2022 1370