Conditions of carriage

These conditions apply whenever you buy a Ride2 ticket or travel on a Ride2 coach. “We” means Ride2 Coaches; “you” means the person travelling, and whoever booked for them.

Ride2 is a demonstration project, not a real coach operator. No coaches run, no money changes hands, and nothing here creates a real contract. We've written these conditions as if we were real, because good products deserve clear rules.

A ticket is for one person, on the coach, date and time shown, between the stops shown. Show it on your phone or on paper when you board. Tickets are personal to the passenger named on them; if you can't travel, cancel or change it rather than passing it on.

Discounted tickets (child, student, concession) need you to be eligible when you travel, and the driver may ask for proof. Children under 5 travel free but still need a ticket, and must travel with someone aged 16 or over. We don't carry unaccompanied children under 12.

The price at checkout is the price you pay — there are no booking fees. Fares can vary with demand and how far ahead you book, within a cap for every route. You can pay by card, with Ride2 credit, or both. One promo code can be used per booking.

If a coach has space, you can buy on board by card, at the higher on-board fare. Booking online is always cheaper.

You can move a journey to another departure between the same places for free, up until your coach leaves your stop. If the new fare is higher, you pay the difference; if it's lower, we refund the difference. A change gives you a new booking reference and new tickets, and the old tickets stop working. If we cancelled or disrupted your original coach, the change is free even if the new fare is higher.

You can cancel any ticket until your coach leaves your stop and get back what you paid for it — as Ride2 credit straight away, or to your card within 3–5 working days. You can cancel a whole booking, one journey of a return, or individual passengers.

If you used a promo code, the discount is shared across all the tickets in the booking in proportion to their price, and we refund the amount you actually paid. Once the coach has left your stop, a ticket you haven't used can't be refunded — unless we disrupted the journey.

Ride2 credit sits in your account and never expires. It's used automatically at checkout unless you switch it off, and can pay for all or part of a booking. Credit has no cash value and can't be transferred, but if you close your account with credit left, contact us and we'll treat you fairly.

Delays. If your coach reaches the end of its route 30 minutes or more late, we refund the fare for that journey automatically — as credit for account holders, or to your card for guest bookings. You don't need to claim.

Cancellations. If we cancel your coach or can't call at your stop, you can move to another departure for free or have a full refund, at any time — even after the original departure. We'll try to arrange onward travel if you're stranded, and will pay reasonable costs we've agreed with you in advance.

We're not responsible for losses we couldn't reasonably have foreseen, but nothing here limits your rights under the law.

• Wear your seatbelt whenever the coach is moving.
• No smoking or vaping. Cold food and drinks with lids are fine; please take your rubbish with you.
• Keep calls and music quiet — headphones, please.
• Be kind to other passengers and our drivers. We may refuse travel to anyone who puts others at risk or behaves abusively.
• Our coaches have CCTV for everyone's safety.

You can bring one large case for the hold and a small bag to keep with you. Bikes need a bike space, booked in advance (free); folding bikes travel as luggage. Assistance dogs are always welcome. Other dogs may travel on a lead, on the floor, one per passenger. Look after your belongings — we can't be responsible for valuables left unattended, though we'll always try to reunite you with lost property.

Tell us through our help page. We'll acknowledge your complaint within one working day and give you a full answer within two weeks. If you're not happy with our answer, you can ask Bus Users UK — the independent complaints body for bus and coach passengers — to look at it.

These conditions don't affect your statutory rights. Journeys that start in Scotland are governed by Scots law, and journeys that start in England by the law of England and Wales. We may update these conditions; the version in force when you booked applies to that booking.