Another one gone - Tower Travel

[theblackwatch]

It would appear Tower Travel of York is the latest bus operator to go into liquidation, they ran a few school contracts around Harrogate, one of which used a Neoplan Skyliner. (I'd not seen one of them for years till a week or two ago.)

http://www.strayfm.com/news/local-n...t-transport-as-school-bus-company-goes-under/

Harrogate pupils left without transport as school bus company goes under

Around 90 pupils have been unable to get to school in Harrogate today, after a bus company appears to have gone into liquidation.

York-based Tower Travel e-mailed parents of students at St Aidan's and St John Fisher secondary schools last night, alerting them to the situation.

Emergency talks are currently under way between the two schools to bring in alternative transport for tomorrow.

It's understood that parents may have paid an up-front fee for transport and it's currently unclear whether they're at risk of being left out of pocket.

 

[telstarbox]

Not to be confused with Tower Transit.

 

[theblackwatch]

It would appear that the final straw for Tower Travel might have been on Saturday when 2 of their vehicles were damaged by vandals (some might say attempted murderers) who threw rocks at two of their buses carrying York City fans after a match at Barrow -news story at http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barro...ttack-e0e26747-31bb-49d9-aeda-a2fe29af84bc-ds

TWO football fans were taken to hospital with head injuries after a minibus carrying women and children was pelted with rocks following Barrow AFC's win over York City.

Saturday's game between Barrow AFC and York City came to a violent end as vehicles on their way back home came under attack.

The letter from Tower Travel says:

1885 Ltd T/A Tower Travel of Tower House, Askham Fields Lane, Askham Bryan, York, YO23 3NU, has ceased trading with immediate effect.

We will be instructing the services of an licensed insolvancy practitioner, following the events occurring this weekend, and professional advise taken this evening.

This is not a decision that we have taken lightly and due to the nature of some of the events that have occurred this weekend that could not have been foreseen, we regret that we are no longer able to continue trading.

 

[Busaholic]

Not to be confused with Tower Transit.

TfL will be very grateful for that

 

[DaveHarries]

Bad luck on the employees that the actions of a few yobs have put the whole company into the history books.

Oddly enough, however, I ran a web search for them and up comes a screen which says: "Coming soon - Tower Travel" and then "Please check back later."

Dave

 

[SCH117X]

The school services are no longer being funded by NYCC so parents would have bought a pass from them, at a price of £760.

 

[Bungle965]

The school services are no longer being funded by NYCC so parents would have bought a pass from them, at a price of £760.

Ouch, I would hope that another operator would take on their school bus services and accept the passes that have already been bought.
Sam

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ouch, I would hope that another operator would take on their school bus services and accept the passes that have already been bought.
Sam

Who pays the new operator?

 

[Bungle965]

Who pays the new operator?

What I had posted before would obviously be ideal, but yes that would be the question as you have said. I presume that the council have no money to reimburse an operator some money if it decided to take over the school contracts?
Sam

 

[theblackwatch]

It's worth mentioning (on the off chance that any parents are reading this) that if anyone paid by Credit Card, if such an option was available, they should be able to make a claim with the Credit Card firm.

 

[SCH117X]

What I had posted before would obviously be ideal, but yes that would be the question as you have said. I presume that the council have no money to reimburse an operator some money if it decided to take over the school contracts?
Sam

NYCC are not (from the start of the current school year) funding bus services to denominational schools, that is schools associated with a particular religion, so they will not be getting involved in this matter. The two Harrogate schools concerned, St John Fisher Catholic High and St Aidens CofE High, have had to arrange the school services themselves; the previous operators carrying on last years services commercially at a cost to parents and in one case at least the merging of two former services into one. For the rest of this week A&A Coach Travel of Boroughbridge and Connexions are working the former Tower Travel services.

 

[AndrewP]

It's worth mentioning (on the off chance that any parents are reading this) that if anyone paid by Credit Card, if such an option was available, they should be able to make a claim with the Credit Card firm.

That would be a Section 75 claim.

For those who paid by debit card what is known as a Chargeback may be possible to get the money back as the service paid for was not received.

Connexionsbus seem to be doing well with school services in Harrogate with some really old double deckers (ex Dublin I think)