McGill’s Group says it is ready to give continuity to local authorities and customers and staff of Fishers Tours after the Dundee-based coach operator’s closure by Friday 23 May.
News of that end to operations at Fishers broke earlier in the same week, with local media reports suggesting that it will bring an anticipated loss of over 20 jobs.
McGill’s owns operator Xplore Dundee and has significantly increased its group-wide coach interests during recent years. It describes Fishers Tours as being “one of the region’s key transport providers.” News of the closure “has left many customers concerned over future bookings and prompted concerns over essential service continuity,” McGill’s adds.
The group has opened talks with Fishers Tours and local authorities to see if it can assist in maintaining home-to-school services and by providing practical support to customers for private hires and day trips.
Discussions are also taking place on whether Fishers Tours employees could be offered alternative roles by McGill’s Group. It has already agreed to fulfil private hire bookings made by the Charleston Community Centre to Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh free of charge.
CEO Tony Williamson says that upon becoming aware of the planned closure of Fishers Tours, “we recognised immediately the critical importance of keeping school transport running – especially for the hundreds of young people and families who rely on these services every day.”
He adds that the business has already mobilised vehicles and staff from across its network to support Dundee City Council and Angus Council.
On Monday 19 May, Angus Council said it was aware of difficulties being experienced by a home-to-school transport provider and that while the local authority had received “firm assurances” of no impact during that week, work was urgently underway to secure services beyond that.
A day later, the local authority said that progress was being made in those efforts, with home-to-school services its priority.
Continues Mr Williamson: “Our operational staff have been incredible in rising to the challenge, and we are working hard to make sure that no pupil is left without a way to get to school.”
The reason for closure of Fishers Tours has not been revealed, but some sources claim that the business has collapsed. Those outlets suggest that staff were told early on the morning of Monday 19 May that closure was coming.
Under previous ownership, the Dundee business in early 2020 threatened to sue the Department for Transport (DfT) over the issuing of exemptions to PSVAR.
Then-proprietor Jim Cosgrove said that Fishers had previously invested £800,000 in vehicles to comply but that the exemptions regime made such expense “worthless.” He had written to DfT seeking compensation but left the door open to legal action.
