Liquidators have been appointed for Dundee coach company Fishers Tours.
Fishers Tours collapsed suddenly at the end of May, resulting in the loss of 27 jobs.
Angus and Dundee councils were left scrambling to re-arrange school transport arrangements for hundreds of young people.
James Dewar and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath were appointed as joint provisional liquidators on Friday.
Staff have been formally made redundant after two weeks of uncertainty.
They told The Courier about being repeatedly stonewalled by Fishers’ directors when they asked about the liquidation process.
Fishers Tours’ fleet of 18 buses has already been put up for sale on an auction website.
Bookings for music events, pre-booked hires and group orders have been cancelled.
The liquidators are asking those who have claims against Fishers to email them.
Those who have been left out of pocket with lost deposits are being told to speak with their bank or credit card company.
Fishers Tours liquidated
Fishers Tours had a turnover of around £2.3 million in 2024 and posted a pre-tax loss of £34,000, their last set of published accounts show.
In 2023, they posted a profit of £96,000.
A number of financial challenges have been blamed for the firm’s sudden collapse. These include fixed-price customer contracts and rising costs.
Alistair McAlinden, Interpath’s managing director, said: “Fishers Tours has been a core part of the local transport network in the Dundee and Angus region for more than two decades and we recognise the devastating impact the closure of the business will have on staff, customers and wider community.
“Regrettably, all bookings and services have been cancelled and customers are advised to seek alternative arrangements and engage with their bank or credit card provider if a deposit has been paid.
“As provisional liquidators, our immediate focus is to explore the circumstances of the liquidation and support affected employees to ensure they have access to the necessary guidance in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Office.”
Company collapse
Fishers was one of the largest private coach hire firms in Tayside.
As well as school contracts, they offered travel to other cities for events like concerts and football matches.
They also operated the Scottish Express service for leisure travel.
The late Jim and late Kay Cosgrove, who passed away in 2021 and 2017, took over Fishers Tours in 2000.
Carrie Ann Telfer is listed as the current director of the company on Companies House.
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