Nightmare transfers

[bazza1970]

Hi

I've never done an independent transfer so this post purely relates to tour operator transfers.

Like many of you may be aware, there are lots of night-time transfers from Dalaman to Kalkan mostly by Dolmus, some by private car, each organised by the main UK tour operators. Having been to Kalkan several times in the past couple of years, my wife and I have been terrified on some journeys with drivers either falling asleep or driving so fast or so badly to put our lives in danger. Now I know that many of these drivers are “used” to the roads, do the journey hundreds of times over a season and that, by virtue of my writing this post, have all got us to our destination without a crash – but I am positive that the safety of the passengers is something the UK tour operators do not pay enough attention to.

Only a few months ago, I read on KTLN the tragic case of a couple killed on a transfer and am really genuinely concerned with the poor standard of driving I have experienced that it won’t be long before there is another. Don’t get me wrong, all of the drivers we’ve had have been very nice, pleasant people who have marvelled at my pathetic attempts to converse in Turkish and they seem like decent people. However, the lives and safety of my family are the most important things to me and I feel that this is a problem that many British holidaymakers regularly encounter but are just too ‘stiff upper lipped’ to do anything about.

So, I am thinking of writing to the two major UK tour operators Thomson and Thomas Cook about this issue and would love to hear if anyone else would be willing to advise of their hair-raising transfer journeys so that I can perhaps make the case for tour operators placing better emphasis on this element of their passenger’s’ journeys. After all, you pay for a comfortable, safe flight and they take care of that. Don’t you think it should be the same for the airport to resort transfer too?!
Emails to: web.replies@ntlworld.com. Thank you - Barry


Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=6604.0

[Blue Lizard]

I think there is a gap in the market for a company that specifies "Careful drivers at reasonable speeds"......i'm fed up arriving in Kalkan Stressed from a white knuckle ride as you rightly say. Overtaking on bends at excessive speed while using a mobile phone and even driving without lights! ...i'm going on hols and should be relaxed not having mrs Lizard gripping onto my arm for dear life...you have raised a good point which people have questioned before but nothing changed... ..even after this years tragic accident.(We have changed transfer companys on various occasions but it seems many are alike.)

[whiteonyx]

the simple solution is to use a small independent company that uses trusted drivers and has your safety and their reputation as a priority.
 
Many years ago we used to used a well known transfer/hire company, the minibus burst a tyre and the driver carried on driving untill i ordered him to stop.
 
There was no tyre left, just the rim and the driver didn't know how to jack up and change the tyre.
 
I ended up doing all the grafting, after that, i have a car waiting at Dalaman and i do the driving. 

[Blue Lizard]

Tour companys are a different matter ..they should have an obligation to get you to your destination safely if your visit includes a transfer...however many visitors book private transfers and you really are in the unknown as to who you will get driving you...we are running out of companys to try!! maybe i will hire a car and drive myself as well....certainly not a problem if we have day flights 

[Bdancer]

I think if you are booking a package then yes, it is is the responsibility of the company to ensure that they use reputable/experienced and safe drivers, but when you book a flight only then really I don't see how the airline  can be responsible for what happens to you after you land. We have had some very hairaising journey's which have been very stressful so now we prefer to drive ourselves, but of course not everyone is comfortable with doing that for a range of reasons. I think it's something that would be better taken up locally with the transfer companies, not sure how. I know that the restaurants have some sort of association, do the transfer/hire companies. They need to know how visitors feel and to address these issues.

Isis

[bazza1970]

Absolutely Isis. My concern is for package travellers only, for whom the tour operator has a responsibility to provide safe transfer as paid for by the consumer. If any independent traveller booking their own transfer has an issue, by all means they should address that with the firm concerned - but as the tour operators send hundreds of thousands of people to Turkey over a season, it is they who should really ensure the safety of their customers.

[Blue Lizard]

It should also be remembered that if you are driving yourself the other end NO alcohol.....which i like while im travelling on hols...it's part of my hols...still a small price to pay not to have Mrs L shrieking all the way to Kalkan
also the added bonus of having a car for days out for not much more than transfer costs........mmmmm... i think i've just convinced myself

[Bdancer]

yes, it can work out quite well over two weeks, we tend to hire for a week, have it for the first few days and then the last few so we can drive ourselves from and back to the airport so for not much more than the cost of a transfer you have the car if you want to go out and about, the company we use has his cars LPG'd, which helps with the cost of the fuel
Isis

[Alfaman]

Bazza1970 should also write to the main tour operators to Kalkan rather than Thomson and Thomas Cook - companies such as Tapestry, Anatolian Sky, Exclusive Escapes and Jewel in the Crown. Our minibus transfers have usually been ok but the occasional taxi transfer when we have been the only guests have been poor, including bad drivers and poorly maintained vehicles, one with a cracked windscreen and broken seatbelt.

[cleworthallray]

I agree with you guys, it is only time before we read about another accident. I have brought this subject up recently (read my past posts) and think that there is much less risk driving yourself. However that only works if your hirecar turns up. Mine didn't and i await further information as to what the outcome of that will be and how it is dealt with. I think that some of these companies are missing the point, that most of us are really looking forward to a great time in kalkan and THEY are spoiling an integral part of the overall experience. 

[littlelin]

yes, it can work out quite well over two weeks, we tend to hire for a week, have it for the first few days and then the last few so we can drive ourselves from and back to the airport so for not much more than the cost of a transfer you have the car if you want to go out and about, the company we use has his cars LPG'd, which helps with the cost of the fuel
Isis
/quote]
 
Isis I'd be interested to know who you use as it's the cost of fuel on top of the actual hire costs which puts us off, an LPG car we'd be interested in.
 

[alantj]

We must have been quite lucky we haven't had a nightmare transfer for at least 10 years. Since then all the drivers have been pretty sensible, not slow but no reckless overtaking or falling asleep at the wheel. 

Other drivers are a different matter, this year we picked up a hire car from Dalaman and twice had to drive off the road onto the verge to avoid cars coming the other way on our side of the road, one of which was on the dual carriageway coming into Kalkan.

Unless our transfer drivers have been better than most I think anyone who worries about their driving would find driving themselves even more stressful. 
   

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Have to say we have had no issues with transfers for the last few years (which adds up to alot of transfers!) The only issue I have if I drive myself is forgetting about the radar car 

[Possums]

I would have thought that the first port of call after a horrendous journey from Dalaman would be a visit to the transfer company's office to bring it to their attention.  You may receive a (almost obligatory) shrug of the shoulders but the very least that may be achieved is for them to have a word with the driver.

Personally we have never experienced a problem but fully realise that the driving standards in general fall rather short of expectations which is why we have never hired a car - we want our holiday to be stress free, yet both of us have lived and driven all over the world for over 40 years.

Perhaps we should go down the name-and-shame route?  There are so many transfer companies to choose from who vie for our business it is in their best interests to keep their standards high.  Where they are not then they have to realise they need to pull up their socks or see their clients disappear.

The transfer company we use has never disappointed us and we recommend them to (and book for) our guests with no inkling of a complaint or scare.