Conditions of Carriage

Who are we?

We are Ember Core Ltd (“we”, “our”, “us”), operating under the name Ember. Our registered address is: Codebase Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 9DR.

We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under number ZA575885. Our operator license is number PM2025892.

Suggestions, Comments and Complaints

We are always looking for ways to improve our service and welcome input from passengers. You can email us at ride@ember.to with anything that’s on your mind, including complaints. We always want to get better at what we do.

Our Responsibilities

All of us at Ember are committed to providing you with a comfortable, reliable and enjoyable experience.

We will do our best to run according to our timetable, but sometimes this may not be possible due to factors outside of our control. If this happens, we will always try to find alternatives for you. Sometimes this may mean using a different route and/or a different type of transport. If this happens, we will notify you as soon as possible and if necessary, provide information on alternative arrangements for your trip.

If you were booked on a service that we cancelled with less than 48 hours notice, we will always do our best to offer alternative transport. If we can’t do so and you incur other travel costs to fulfil the equivalent journey, we will refund that cost to you, subject to you using a reasonable method of travel. To claim a refund, email us at ride@ember.to, including the email address you used to make your original booking and receipts for alternative travel expenses.

A reasonable alternative method of travel is judged at our sole discretion. It excludes any travel option that goes against a current travel advisory (e.g. travelling through an area covered by a red weather warning) or any option where a significantly cheaper option was reasonably available. If you are unsure whether alternative travel will be eligible for a refund, contact us and we can confirm this ahead of you incurring any costs.

If we have to cancel a service with more than 48 hours notice and we are unable to provide an alternative service to you, we will issue a full refund or account credit automatically. We will not refund alternative travel expenses in this situation.

We will not be held liable for any loss, damage, inconvenience or additional costs you suffer as a result of cancellations, beyond what is outlined above.

Your Conduct

Our drivers are human beings who are doing their best to provide you with a safe, enjoyable experience. They will not tolerate abuse, rudeness or a general lack of courtesy.

We want everyone to be able to travel in a safe, comfortable and enjoyable environment so we have the following rules in place:

• Please don’t eat hot food onboard, we want to keep the vehicles smelling fresh for everyone.
• You can bring hot drinks onboard but they must be in a cup with a spill resistant lid.
• Having an alcoholic drink onboard is ok but being drunk is not. The driver may forbid alcohol on a service in which case no passenger is allowed to drink.
• Take your rubbish with you or put it in a rubbish bin onboard.
• You must wear a seatbelt at all times while seated, where one is provided.
• Do not smoke conventional or electronic cigarettes of any kind whilst onboard.
• Do not bring weapons onboard, either on your person or in your luggage.
• Do not solicit or try to offer anything for sale or collection to other passengers, unless you have our permission
• Do not play loud music which can be heard by other passengers.
• Do not use our Wi-Fi to download, view, or distribute illegal material.
• Do not distract the driver whilst he or she is driving, unless you have an emergency. If possible, wait until the next stop and then alert the driver to your issue.

We may refuse travel or ask you to leave during a trip if you:

• Are a security or safety risk.
• Have a poor level of personal hygiene, making the environment unpleasant for others.
• Are intoxicated or are under the influence of drugs or other substances.
• Cause a nuisance or disturbance to other passengers or employees.

You will not be entitled to a refund if you are refused travel or asked to leave the vehicle for any of these reasons. If appropriate, we will seek legal redress to remedy the damage, loss, or injury caused by your actions.

If you break these rules we reserve the right to ban you from all Ember services. We will generally only do this due to repeated or particularly extreme breaches.

CCTV

We have CCTV on our vehicles to keep people safe, prevent crime and improve our service. Most of the cameras only record video but those at the front of the vehicle may also record sound. Where relevant, this data may be passed on 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. Full details can be found in our Privacy Policy.

Wheelchairs, Buggies and Mobility Scooters

We welcome wheelchair users and have a lift and wheelchair space in all of our vehicles. The lifts will support wheelchairs with a seated passenger up to a total combined weight of 300kg. The maximum dimensions are 1200mm (length) x 700mm (width) x 1350mm (height).

We encourage everyone to book online and wheelchair spaces can be booked as part of this process. There's no additional cut-off time for a wheelchair booking and our website will provide real time information on whether there is space. You can also buy a ticket onboard, subject to availability.

If you use a wheelchair or lightweight mobility scooter and are able to climb a few steps on to the vehicle then we can store your mobility device in the hold. Drivers will do their best to help you to your seat in this situation. Wheelchairs or lightweight mobility scooters must weigh no more than 20kg or be capable of being dismantled into parts that weigh less than 20kg each. We are not responsible for dismantling or erecting your mobility device but a driver will do their best to assist you.

Collapsible buggies, prams and strollers must be folded up and put in the hold. Should you have a non collapsible type then it will be up to the discretion of the driver to decide if it can be permitted onboard or in the hold. We'll do our best to help but on particularly busy services there might not be enough space available.

Bicycles

We encourage everyone to book online and bicycles can be booked as part of this process. Bicycles which are not booked will be accepted subject to there being enough space to accommodate other bookings.

Bicycles should be clean or covered in an appropriate bike bag to avoid other luggage being damaged or soiled. If you don’t have one we’ll do our best to provide one.

Foldable bicycles do not need to be booked and can be brought on any journey provided they are relatively clean (or in a bag).

Luggage

We will do our best to accommodate your luggage on our vehicles but we expect you to be reasonable in your requirements. If you think you will be travelling with particularly large or long items, then it’s best to drop us an email in advance (ride@ember.to) to check whether we can carry it.

If we are unable to carry your luggage due to its size, weight, or dimensions, we will not be liable or responsible for any inconvenience this may cause.

You are responsible for any items you bring onboard and Ember will not be held liable or responsible for any loss or damage incurred, except in the case of gross negligence on our part.

Fragile items may be carried if they are securely packaged but we will not be responsible for any loss or damage to these items. Keep valuable items on you and do not leave them out of sight. If you are travelling with very expensive items then we strongly recommend that you have adequate insurance.

You can bring two pieces of luggage onboard but drivers may not be able to assist you with heavy items.

We reserve the right to refuse carriage of any item of luggage and final discretion is left to the driver.

Cleaning Fees

We work hard to keep our buses as clean as possible for the comfort of all passengers.

If you make a mess or damage the vehicle, for instance by vomiting or spilling a drink, you will be responsible for the cost of putting it right. In the case of vomiting, the cleaning fee will be a minimum of £50. However, we reserve the right to pass on all additional cleaning costs, the costs associated with helping other passengers complete their journey in a different vehicle and the lost revenue from having to take a bus out of service.

We would much rather avoid these incidents if at all possible. If you are feeling unwell, tell the driver. They generally have sick bags available and may be able to let you at a suitable stop for a couple of minutes of fresh air. As a matter of politeness, we would also ask that you tell the driver proactively if there has been an incident, rather than leaving them to find it later and requiring us to conduct an investigation to identify the responsible person.

Animals

We welcome guide dogs, hearing or assistance dogs accompanying registered disabled persons. Assistance dogs must be properly harnessed and under your direct control at all times.

Other dogs (or small animals) are also welcome at the discretion of the driver. If your dog or other animal becomes a disturbance to other passengers or employees you may be asked to leave and we will have no liability to you as a result.

Any animal that travels with you does so at your own risk. You will be solely responsible should the animal make a mess that requires additional cleaning, cause damage to the vehicle, or injure other passengers or employees. We may seek to claim costs as a result.

Animals are not permitted to travel on a seat. Instead, they should remain on the floor in front of your seat or on your lap. If your pet is too large to sit here, they may travel provided an additional child ticket is booked for them and they travel on the floor in front of the adjacent seat. They are not allowed to sit in the aisle.

Musical Instruments

Large instruments, such as a cello, can travel on a seat provided a child fare ticket is booked for them.

They can sit on the seat or on the floor in front of the seat, upright or at an angle. The instrument and case combined must be less than 95kg and fit within the seat width of 45cm.

You'll need to secure the instrument with the seatbelt at the window seat and sit next to it if possible. Ultimately, safety is our priority so if the driver isn't satisfied your instrument can be safely secured we will have to place it in the hold.

Lost Property

If you find any property which someone else has left in a vehicle, please hand it to the driver.

If you leave something on a vehicle, please report it via email to ride@ember.to as soon as possible. Lost property will be held in one of our offices for one month unless it is a perishable, objectionable or illegal item (in which case it will be disposed of immediately).

Fares and Ticketing

You can buy tickets online anytime up until departure, except for pre-booked stops which must be booked a few minutes ahead. You'll see the exact pre-booking window when searching for a ticket. When boarding, you must show your ticket or provide your name to the driver.

Alternatively, you can buy a ticket as you board, so long as we have space. Note that for a pre-booked stop, you can only buy on board if the bus is already stopping there due to another passenger booking, so you should buy online to ensure you can travel. We do not accept cash but welcome card payments and support all major card issuers (Visa, MasterCard, Amex and UnionPay).

If you do not have a ticket for a good reason and do not have means of payment, you may be allowed to travel at the discretion of the driver. We will always do our best to allow people to reach their destination rather than leaving them stranded.

Concessions

Ember participates in the Scottish Concession Travel Scheme. If you have a card that entitles you to free bus travel in Scotland, you can travel for free with Ember. If booking online, you should book as a concession. You must present a valid Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC) on boarding, whether you have booked online or not, otherwise you will be charged for the full-fare.

Holders of a Scottish NEC with the companion symbol may take a companion free of charge. If booking online, companions should be added as an additional concession.

We do not participate in the volunteer card scheme for discounted travel.

Children and Young People

Children under five can travel for free with a responsible adult. Children aged 5 - 21 with a Scottish National Entitlement card can travel for free as a concession. We also offer a 50% discount to other children who are 18 or under and don't have a Scottish National Entitlement card. We may ask for proof of age if you look like you are 16 or over.

Penalty Fares

If we find you on board without a valid ticket for your journey, we will ask you to pay the full on board fare plus an additional £20 penalty charge. Please just purchase a ticket because we don’t want to charge you more than we have to. The exception is where you've spoken to the driver and they've used their discretion to allow you to travel.

Refunds, Cancellations and Changing Reservations

You can cancel your booking online for free, anytime up until your bus leaves. If you want to change your reservation then cancel your booking and just book another ticket. When you cancel your booking we’ll give you an account credit that can be used instantly to rebook or you can request a refund.

If you think you should have a refund for any other reason then email us at ride@ember.to

Breastfeeding

We support mothers who want to breastfeed their children on any of our vehicles.

If you have any issues with other passengers whilst breastfeeding, let the driver know at the next stop and they'll do their best to help.

Data Protection

Where we collect your personal data, we will store, process and safeguard that data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Complaints Handling

We try to handle complaints quickly and fairly. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within one business day and respond fully within two weeks. Where this is not possible, we’ll explain why and provide you with an alternative timeline.

Where a complaint is related to your rights under the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport Regulations and you are not satisfied with our response, then you can refer the complaint to Bus Users UK.

Amendments

These Conditions of Carriage apply to all Ember services as of the date at the top of this page and replace all previous versions. They may be amended from time to time. A copy of any previous versions will be available on our website.

Legal Notice

The governing law for these Conditions of Carriage shall be the laws of Scotland and the Courts of Scotland shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Should any provision of these Conditions of Carriage be invalid or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

These Conditions of Carriage apply to all services operated by Ember.