stagecoach buses

**Mr P Cannop** · 02-Sep-09, 08:09

here is my letter and heres the papers version of my letter

I and another person was waiting for the 81 14.38pm service bus going to wick via Mount Pleasant/Towerhill Road at 14.40 i called up the stagecoach bus station to say the bus did not turn up and was told the bus was Rescheduled to 14.20pm and not at 14.40 as it says in the timetables book. so me and the other person had to get a taxi to Mount Pleasant road/Bower. I think stagecoach should up date their time tables and stagecoach are a shambles since they came to Caithness

Recently i was waiting along with another person for the 81 at 14.38pm service bus going to Wick via Mount Pleasant/Towerhill Road in Thurso At 14.40 I called the station to say the bus had not turned up and was told it was at 14.20pm stagecoach should update their timetables

**Mr P Cannop** · 02-Sep-09, 09:19

Originally Posted by Mr P Cannop

here is my letter and heres the papers version of my letter

I and another person was waiting for the 81 14.38pm service bus going to wick via Mount Pleasant/Towerhill Road at 14.40 i called up the stagecoach bus station to say the bus did not turn up and was told the bus was Rescheduled to 14.20pm and not at 14.40 as it says in the timetables book. so me and the other person had to get a taxi to Mount Pleasant road/Bower. I think stagecoach should up date their time tables and stagecoach are a shambles since they came to Caithness

Recently i was waiting along with another person for the 81 at 14.38pm service bus going to Wick via Mount Pleasant/Towerhill Road in Thurso At 14.40 I called the station to say the bus had not turned up and was told it was at 14.20pm stagecoach should update their timetables

whats everyone news and views about this ??

**dietcokegirl** · 02-Sep-09, 09:41

It does say in the paper that any letters sent in may be edited for length and content.
But i do agree that stagecoach is a shambles. I went down to Inverness on the bus last friday with my 3 year old son. There wasn't even a toilet on the bus! Needless to say my son nearly had a "wee accident" when the bus driver said he wasn't stopping to their designated toilet stop.

**Mr P Cannop** · 02-Sep-09, 09:43

Originally Posted by dietcokegirl

It does say in the paper that any letters sent in may be edited for length and content.
But i do agree that stagecoach is a shambles. I went down to Inverness on the bus last friday with my 3 year old son. There wasn't even a toilet on the bus! Needless to say my son nearly had a "wee accident" when the bus driver said he wasn't stopping to their designated toilet stop.

so much for stagecoach saying they would have toilets on all their buses to inverness

**dietcokegirl** · 02-Sep-09, 09:57

I know!! I had just read in the paper a few weeks ago about someone complaining about the no toilet situation on the inverness buses.

Stagecoach said something like it was a one off. Perhaps this was just a 'one off' again.
But 3 and a half hours with no toilet is a long time for me, let alone a 3 year old!

**BINBOB** · 02-Sep-09, 10:27

I do not use the buses,but after all that I have heard and read,it does seem that we are being treated very differently from the rest of the country..........definitely not good enough.It is a very long way for children [and adults] to travel without basic facilities.

**rfr10** · 02-Sep-09, 10:30

The reason Stagecoach sometimes end up running buses with no toilets on them on the Caithness - Inverness service is because sometimes the buses with toilets are taken off the road for maintenance and replaced temporarily with other buses which may not have a toilet on board.

**Leanne** · 02-Sep-09, 11:09

Originally Posted by BINBOB

I do not use the buses,but after all that I have heard and read,it does seem that we are being treated very differently from the rest of the country..........definitely not good enough.It is a very long way for children [and adults] to travel without basic facilities.

The buses in the rest of the country are far worse - they are luxury up here! At least there are air blowers and seat belts. And you are guaranteed a seat - try travelling those 3 hours stood

I once waited an hour and 40 minutes for a bus that wasn't full to actually stop in Manchester!

I fully agree about the times. I decided when I moved here to do my bit for the environment and use the bus. The first day I got the bus is was 10 minutes early so I missed it (I did manage to get to the bus and bang on the door as it drove off

). I then had the choice of a 2 hour wait for the next bus or an 8 mile walk home... In the rain! When I rang up stagecoach they said the driver had made and unscheduled early departure. They didn't even apologise...

Then the new timetables came out... I fininsh work at 17:30 and the nearest bus time to that is 17:15 and the next one isn't until 18:45!!!! I only live 10 minutes away... I now use my car and don't help the environment. I'd use my bike but I work in the blood bank at the hospital and have seen the result of accidents around here...

**chocolatechip** · 02-Sep-09, 11:56

When I have been on the busses to and fro from here to inverness they stop off in Dingwall and they will let you use the toilets there

**dietcokegirl** · 02-Sep-09, 12:36

Originally Posted by chocolatechip

When I have been on the busses to and fro from here to inverness they stop off in Dingwall and they will let you use the toilets there

And we did get one toilet stop. But it didnt help much when my 3 year old started hopping for the toilet around helmsdale

Maybe i should of called ahead to check that the bus in question would have a toilet on board, but me being me i just assumed that they would since it was quite a long trip.

**Kodiak** · 02-Sep-09, 12:43

Originally Posted by chocolatechip

When I have been on the busses to and fro from here to inverness they stop off in Dingwall and they will let you use the toilets there

This is NOT Good enough. There are plenty of People who for one reason or another can not last longer than 1 Hour before thaey require to use a Toilet.

Any Lady who is Pregnant would have Difficulty as would any Man who had any form of Prostrate Problems.

I for one will NOT be Travelling on any Bus that does not have an onboard Toilet and unless you have no other option I would suggest that if you can, Boycot Stagecoach until they use Busses with Onboard Toilets.

If everyone who did Boycot them wrote to them as well, explaining why they have stopped using their Transport they might just get message and do the decent thing.

I very Much Doubt it though !!

**vanman** · 02-Sep-09, 13:07

stagecoach prices are ridiculous too! £25 for a return to Inverness

how much fuel does their bus use?? & what about the poor students from up here attending Inverness college They get a student rate of just over £22!! how come they manage to do glasgow to manchester for a £1 but we get charged stupid prices

**Kodiak** · 02-Sep-09, 13:45

Originally Posted by vanman

stagecoach prices are ridiculous too! £25 for a return to Inverness

how much fuel does their bus use?? & what about the poor students from up here attending Inverness college They get a student rate of just over £22!! how come they manage to do glasgow to manchester for a £1 but we get charged stupid prices

As far as I know, so please correct me if I am wrong, the answer to is lack of Competition. Since they have the Monopoly in Bus Transport between Caithness and Inverness they can charge what they like.

As to price I have just checked ScotRail's Web Site and the Price thay quote is this.

Single from Thurso to Inverness £16.20
Return from Thurso to Inverness £28.00 (If you book in advance the Price comes down as well)

So if the price you are quoting is a return for the Bus between Inverness and Caithness there is not much of a difference and all trains not have have a toilet but you can get up and walk around.

I know what I would do if I wanted to travel to Inverness, the train every time.

**The Angel Of Death** · 02-Sep-09, 13:53

Originally Posted by vanman

stagecoach prices are ridiculous too! £25 for a return to Inverness

You can do it in the car for that price if you take it easy (not to mention go where you want when in ness) but as mentioned why make the effort to save a bit enviroment wise when your hit with sucker punches like the bus leaving early / no toilet stuff like that could be excused (just) if it was now and again but its becoming more and more common

I wonder if the driver would stop if you started going on the floor right next to him

**KILTIECAULDBUM** · 02-Sep-09, 14:05

Originally Posted by The Angel Of Death

I wonder if the driver would stop if you started going on the floor right next to him

Even better, get on the bus with an empty black plastic bucket in one hand & a toilet roll in the other. If the driver asks what they're for, tell him ''just in case, & yes I did bring my own air freshner''

Seriously though, it's just not good enough.

**Kodiak** · 02-Sep-09, 14:08

Originally Posted by The Angel Of Death

You can do it in the car for that price if you take it easy (not to mention go where you want when in ness) but as mentioned why make the effort to save a bit enviroment wise when your hit with sucker punches like the bus leaving early / no toilet stuff like that could be excused (just) if it was now and again but its becoming more and more common

I wonder if the driver would stop if you started going on the floor right next to him

To go to Inverness and Back in my Car takes about 30 Litres of Petrol so this works out about £32.00 for the return Journey. So it would be cheaper to go by Rail if you were going by yourself.

On the other hand if four Adults were Travelling it would be so much cheaper to go by car as it would only cost £8.00 per person to the £28.00 per person by Rail. OK the car does not have a toilet but you can stop whereever you like and for as long as you like.

**northener** · 02-Sep-09, 14:13

Originally Posted by vanman

stagecoach prices are ridiculous too! £25 for a return to Inverness

how much fuel does their bus use?? & what about the poor students from up here attending Inverness college They get a student rate of just over £22!! how come they manage to do glasgow to manchester for a £1 but we get charged stupid prices

£25.00 for a 210 mile trip.

And you think this is expensive?

I don't know if you've noticed, but money for buses, drivers, fuel and overheads (not to mention a little thing called profit) all have to come from somewhere. It's not State owned......