Conditions of Carriage

Conditions of Carriage

McColl’s Travel Limited
Effective from: 07/09/2026

1. About these conditions

These Conditions of Carriage explain the terms on which McColl’s Travel Limited (“McColl’s”, “we”, “us” or “our”) carries passengers on its bus and coach services.
They apply to our registered local bus services and, where relevant, to demand-responsive or pre-booked services operated by us. Private hire journeys, dedicated school transport and services operated under contract for another organisation may also be subject to separate booking terms, contract conditions or rules set by the relevant council, school, transport authority or customer. If there is any conflict, the service-specific terms will apply to the extent of that conflict.

These conditions are read alongside:

• the fare and ticket information published on our website, in the myTrip app or at the point of sale;
• any service-specific notices or ticket conditions;
• the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990, as amended;
• applicable accessibility, equality and consumer law; and
• the rules of any concessionary travel or supported-fare scheme.

Nothing in these conditions removes or restricts any legal rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

2. Services, timetables and capacity

We take reasonable care to operate our services in accordance with the routes and timetables we publish. Bus services can, however, be affected by matters such as traffic, roadworks, weather, incidents, vehicle breakdowns, staff availability, police instructions and the actions of third parties.

We may therefore alter, divert, suspend, cancel or withdraw a service, or change a timetable, stopping place, vehicle or fare, where reasonably necessary. We will provide notice where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Published times, live tracking information and journey-planning information are estimates and do not guarantee the arrival or departure time of a vehicle. A ticket or booking does not guarantee that a particular journey will operate or that a seat will be available, unless we expressly confirm otherwise in writing.

Passengers are responsible for allowing reasonable time for their journey and for any onward connection. If we fail to provide a service with reasonable care and skill, any entitlement to a refund or other remedy will be determined by the circumstances and applicable law. We do not exclude liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

3. Boarding and leaving the vehicle

Passengers should be at the correct stopping place in good time and should clearly signal to the driver that they wish to board. To leave the vehicle, passengers should use the stop bell, where fitted, in sufficient time.

Passengers must not attempt to board or leave a moving vehicle, force or obstruct the doors, or board after the doors have closed. Except where a flexible or demand-responsive service permits otherwise, passengers may normally board or leave only at a recognised bus stop or another place authorised by the driver or McColl’s.

The driver may refuse boarding where the vehicle is full, stopping would be unsafe or unlawful, the passenger cannot be carried safely, or these conditions have not been followed.

4. Safety on board

Passengers must follow all reasonable safety instructions given by the driver or another authorised member of staff.

Passengers must not:
• distract or obstruct the driver;
• stand forward of any marked line or in a doorway, stairwell, emergency exit or other prohibited area;
• lean out of, throw anything from, or place anything through a window or door;
• interfere with the vehicle, its doors, safety equipment, ticketing equipment or emergency equipment;
• deliberately create a danger to themselves or anyone else; or
• use an emergency exit or emergency control except in an emergency or when instructed to do so.

Where standing is permitted, the maximum standing capacity shown on the vehicle must not be exceeded. Standing passengers should use the handrails or supports provided. Passengers using the upper deck of a double-deck vehicle must remain seated while the vehicle is moving. Passengers should take particular care when moving around the vehicle and should remain seated until the vehicle has stopped where reasonably possible.

Where seat belts are fitted, passengers must use them when required by law. The passenger, or the responsible adult accompanying a child, is responsible for complying with the applicable seat-belt requirements.

5. Fares and payment

Passengers must tell the driver their destination and pay the correct fare, or present a valid ticket, pass or travel entitlement, when boarding.

Current fares and available ticket products are shown on our website, in the myTrip app, on our ticketing systems or at the point of sale. Ticket types and fares may differ by route and may change. Temporary schemes, including fare caps, apply only to the journeys and ticket types stated in the published scheme information.

Cash and contactless payment are accepted only where shown as available. Passengers paying by cash must tender the exact fare. Drivers do not carry or give change, and change vouchers or credits will not be issued. If the exact cash fare cannot be paid, the passenger must use another accepted method of payment. If a contactless payment is declined or cannot be completed, another accepted method must be used unless staff have been authorised to apply a temporary equipment-failure procedure.

Where fares are calculated by fare stages, a passenger boarding between stages may be charged from the preceding stage and a passenger leaving between stages may be charged to the following stage.

Passengers should check their ticket at the time of purchase and raise any apparent error immediately. This does not affect any legal right to have a genuine pricing or ticketing error corrected.

6. Ticket validity and inspection

A ticket is valid only:
• for the passenger, route, direction, journey, area, date, time and period stated on it or in the applicable product description;
• if it has been lawfully obtained and, where required, activated or validated correctly;
• if it has not expired, been altered, copied, damaged so that it cannot be checked, cancelled or previously used beyond its permitted validity; and
• subject to any additional conditions published for that ticket product.

Unless its terms expressly allow otherwise, a ticket is not transferable and a single ticket is valid for one continuous journey on the service for which it was issued. Return, day, period, multi-journey and area tickets are valid only where that product is offered and in accordance with its published conditions.

Passengers must keep their ticket, pass or other travel authority throughout the journey and present it when asked by the driver, an inspector or another authorised person.

A passenger who cannot produce a valid ticket or travel entitlement may be required to buy a new ticket, may be refused travel or asked to leave the vehicle at a safe and lawful place. Suspected fraud may be investigated and reported to the relevant authority or police.

Paper tickets and passes that are lost, stolen, defaced, altered or damaged may not be accepted or replaced unless the relevant ticket conditions or applicable law provide otherwise.

7. Concessionary travel and proof of entitlement

Passengers travelling under the Scottish National Concessionary Travel Schemes or another concessionary scheme must present a valid National Entitlement Card or other required pass and use it on the ticket machine each time they board.

The card or pass must belong to the passenger using it. Where the card includes a photograph, staff may check that the passenger is the cardholder. A companion may travel free only where the card and the applicable scheme rules provide a companion entitlement.

If a passenger does not have the required card or it cannot be accepted as valid, the appropriate fare will normally be payable. Where the issue appears to have been caused by our equipment, the driver will follow the procedure applicable to that service. Questions about eligibility, renewals, replacements or cancelled cards should be directed to the body that issued the card.

8. Children and young people

Up to two children under five may travel free on local bus services when accompanied by a responsible fare-paying passenger or a passenger holding a valid travel entitlement. The accompanying person is responsible for the safety and conduct of the children in their care.

Child fares, where offered, normally apply to passengers aged 5 to 15. Proof of age may be requested. Young people entitled to free bus travel under the Scottish scheme must present and use a valid National Entitlement Card; age alone does not provide the entitlement.

We may apply different arrangements to a dedicated school service in accordance with the relevant school or local-authority contract.

9. Conditions specific to mobile application tickets

These supplementary conditions apply to tickets purchased, stored or validated through the official myTrip mobile application (the “App”). The remainder of these Conditions of Carriage continues to apply.

9.1 Definitions

• App: the official myTrip mobile application used to purchase, store and present mobile tickets.

• Digital Ticket: an electronic entitlement to travel purchased or supplied through the App and displayed on the passenger’s mobile device.

• Carrier: McColl’s Travel Limited, where the Digital Ticket is designated for travel on a service operated by us.

9.2 Purchase and the contract of carriage

A Digital Ticket is valid only when the purchase or issue has been confirmed through the App and the ticket is valid for the intended journey. A bank or card statement, receipt, screenshot or booking confirmation is not a substitute for displaying a valid Digital Ticket.

The contract for the Digital Ticket is formed when its purchase or issue is confirmed. The passenger becomes entitled to make a particular journey only when the ticket is valid for that journey and has been activated and validated as required. If another business sells the ticket as our authorised agent, its payment and account terms may also apply.

9.3 Presentation and validation

The passenger must ensure that their device is sufficiently charged, functional and capable of displaying the Digital Ticket clearly throughout the journey. The ticket must be activated only in accordance with the instructions in the App and must be displayed live for inspection. Screenshots, photographs, recordings or other reproductions are not valid tickets.

If the Digital Ticket cannot be displayed or validated because of a flat battery, damaged screen, device malfunction, lack of required connectivity or another issue affecting the passenger’s device or account, the passenger may be required to buy a new ticket. The driver cannot accept a bank statement or other proof of purchase in its place.

Where a confirmed fault with our equipment or systems prevents a valid Digital Ticket from being checked, our staff will follow the procedure applicable to that service. This does not affect the passenger’s statutory rights.

9.4 Refunds, cancellations and changes

Requests concerning an unused and inactive Digital Ticket may be submitted through myTrip or to McColl’s Customer Services. The request will be assessed under the ticket’s published refund conditions and applicable law.

A Digital Ticket that has been activated, scanned, validated or used will normally be non-refundable. Any request for a partial refund for a partly used ticket designated for McColl’s services must be made directly to McColl’s Customer Services.

We will investigate a request arising from a suspected fault in the App or our ticketing systems. We are not responsible for a failure caused wholly by the passenger’s device or account or by an external mobile network, payment provider or third-party service outside our reasonable control. This does not exclude any refund, remedy or liability that applies by law or where we have failed to exercise reasonable care and skill.

9.5 Misuse and account security

Digital Tickets must not be altered, copied, duplicated, transferred or shared except where the ticket product expressly permits gifting or transfer through an approved App function. Passengers must not share App login details for the purpose of allowing another person to use a ticket fraudulently.

Suspected misuse may result in the ticket being withdrawn or invalidated, refusal of travel, a request to myTrip to restrict the relevant account, and referral to the police or another appropriate authority.

Passengers are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect their device and App login details. McColl’s is not responsible for loss caused by unauthorised access that was not due to any act or omission by us.

10. Refunds

Refund entitlement depends on the type and status of the ticket, the reason for the request and any product-specific terms disclosed when the ticket was purchased.

Single and return tickets that have been used or have expired are normally non-refundable. Activated, validated or partly used tickets are also normally non-refundable unless their specific conditions state otherwise or a refund is required by law. Where a refund is agreed, we may deduct the value of travel already taken and any reasonable administration cost disclosed to the passenger.

Applications should be made promptly to Customer Services and should include the ticket or App details, proof of purchase, journey details and the reason for the request. Refunds will normally be made to the original payment method where reasonably possible.

Nothing in this section affects a passenger’s statutory rights where a service has not been provided with reasonable care and skill or where another legal remedy applies.

11. Accessibility, wheelchairs, mobility aids and pushchairs

We are committed to making our services accessible and will provide reasonable assistance to disabled passengers in accordance with applicable law, provided that it is safe and reasonable to do so. Passengers who require help should tell the driver. Where advance arrangements may be helpful, passengers can contact Customer Services before travelling, but advance notice is not required to use an accessible local bus service.

Wheelchair users have priority over non-wheelchair users for the designated wheelchair space. If the space is occupied by standing passengers, luggage or a pushchair, the driver will require those items or passengers to move where reasonably possible so that a wheelchair user can board. Other passengers must follow the driver’s reasonable instructions. A wheelchair user can be carried only where the wheelchair is compatible with the vehicle and can be positioned safely in the designated space.

Pushchairs and unfolded buggies may be carried in the designated area where space is available, but must be moved or folded if reasonably required to make the wheelchair space available. The child must be removed if the driver considers this necessary for safety. The adult accompanying the child remains responsible for the child and pushchair at all times.

Mobility scooters and other mobility aids may be carried only where they are suitable for the vehicle, can be boarded and secured or positioned safely, and do not exceed the vehicle’s safe limits. The driver has the final decision on safe carriage at the time of travel.

Priority seats should be given to passengers whose need is greater. Not every disability is visible, and passengers should respond considerately to requests from the driver or another passenger.

Recognised assistance dogs are carried free of charge and should not be refused unless there is a genuine and unavoidable safety reason.

12. Luggage, bicycles and animals

Reasonable personal luggage may be carried without additional charge where space is available and it can be stowed safely. Luggage must not block an aisle, doorway, stairway, wheelchair space or emergency exit, occupy a seat needed by another passenger, damage the vehicle or create a risk or unreasonable nuisance.

Passengers remain responsible for their belongings and should keep valuables with them. We will take reasonable care but do not accept responsibility for loss or damage unless caused by our negligence or another matter for which liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

The driver may refuse any item that is excessively large, unsafe, insecure, offensive or likely to cause injury, damage or serious inconvenience. This includes dangerous substances, weapons, uncovered sharp objects, leaking items and any item prohibited by law.

Bicycles, e-bikes and larger wheeled equipment are carried only at the driver’s discretion where the vehicle has suitable space and they can be carried safely. Folding bicycles may be treated as luggage when fully folded, clean and securely covered or held. Batteries must not be removed, charged or handled on the vehicle.

Assistance dogs are dealt with under section 11 and do not count towards the following limit. Only one pet dog may normally travel on a vehicle at a time unless McColl’s authorises otherwise. Dogs must be clean, well behaved and kept on a short lead. Other animals may be carried at the driver’s discretion and should be secured in a suitable carrier where appropriate. No animal may be placed on a seat. An animal may be refused if it creates a risk or nuisance, the vehicle is crowded or the driver reasonably considers that it cannot be carried safely.

13. Passenger conduct

Passengers must behave lawfully, safely and considerately. A passenger may be refused travel or required to leave the vehicle at a safe and lawful place if their conduct is unsafe, unlawful, abusive or seriously disruptive, or if they refuse a reasonable instruction from the driver or another authorised person.

Passengers must not:
• smoke or vape on the vehicle;
• consume alcohol or possess an open container of alcohol;
• use, possess or supply illegal drugs;
• threaten, abuse, harass, intimidate or assault staff or other passengers, including through discriminatory language or conduct;
• damage, soil or deface the vehicle or another person’s property;
• play music, video or other audio at a volume audible to and disturbing other passengers;
• beg, sell, distribute material or collect money without our written permission;
• place feet on seats;
• bring or consume hot food on board;
• consume an open drink; drinks in securely closed containers may be accepted at the driver’s discretion;
• consume any other food or drink where it creates a safety risk, mess or nuisance; or
• behave in any other way that is likely to cause danger, serious offence, alarm or distress.

Passengers who cause damage or exceptional cleaning costs may be required to meet the reasonable cost incurred. Serious incidents may be reported to the police, the relevant transport authority, school or contracting body.

14. Lost property

Passengers should hand any unattended item found on a vehicle to the driver or another member of staff.

Property found on our vehicles is normally taken to our Dumbarton office. We take reasonable care of found items but do not accept responsibility for belongings left on a vehicle unless their loss or damage was caused by our negligence.

Non-perishable items are normally retained for 28 days. Perishable, dangerous, unhygienic or low-value items may be disposed of sooner. Payment cards, identity documents, mobile devices, medication and other sensitive or high-value items may be handled differently or passed to the issuing body or police where appropriate.

To reclaim an item, the claimant must provide a satisfactory description and any proof of ownership or identity we reasonably request. Collection arrangements must be agreed with Customer Services. If we agree to post an item, the owner must pay the reasonable postage and packaging costs in advance, and posting will be at the owner’s risk except where loss or damage is caused by our negligence.

Unclaimed property may be disposed of, donated or otherwise dealt with after the applicable retention period and in accordance with the law.

15. Demand-responsive and pre-booked services

Some services operate only by prior booking or use flexible pick-up and drop-off points. The booking confirmation and any service-specific instructions form part of these conditions.

Passengers must provide accurate booking information, be ready at the stated pick-up point within the advised time window and promptly notify us if travel is no longer required. Pick-up and arrival times may be adjusted to accommodate other passengers and operational conditions.

A booking may be refused or cancelled where the journey is outside the service rules, the information supplied is inaccurate, the passenger is not present, carrying the passenger would be unsafe or unlawful, or circumstances outside our reasonable control prevent operation. Any fare paid will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable refund terms and the passenger’s statutory rights.

16. CCTV and personal information

CCTV and, on some services, audio or other recording systems may operate on or around our vehicles for safety, security, incident investigation, crime prevention and the protection of passengers, staff and property.

Personal information is handled in accordance with our privacy information and applicable data-protection law. Requests relating to personal information should be made through Customer Services.

17. Complaints and contact details

If something goes wrong, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible and provide the date, time, route or service number, direction of travel, boarding point and, if known, the vehicle registration or fleet number. This helps us investigate properly. Nothing in this section imposes an unreasonably short time limit on any legal claim.

McColl’s Travel Limited
Block 4C
Vale of Leven Industrial Estate
Dumbarton
G82 3PD

Email: customer.services@mccolls.org.uk
Telephone: 01389 754 321
Customer Services opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm, excluding public holidays

If a complaint cannot be resolved directly with us, passengers may be able to seek assistance from Bus Users UK or the relevant transport or contracting authority.

18. General

If any part of these conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

Our failure to enforce a condition on one occasion does not prevent us from enforcing it on another occasion.

We may update these conditions from time to time. The version in force when the relevant ticket is purchased or journey is made will apply, subject to any rights already acquired and applicable law. The current version will be published on our website.

These conditions and any dispute or claim arising from them are governed by Scots law. The Scottish courts will have jurisdiction, without removing any right a consumer may have to bring proceedings in another court that has jurisdiction under applicable consumer law.