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Bus company sorry over man left waiting
Date published: 18 January 2012
A BUS company has apologised after a Waterhead man complained about being left stranded in Manchester city centre.
An investigation was launched by First Buses following a complaint that one of its drivers disregarded a bus marshal’s instructions at Piccadilly Gardens — leaving people at the bus stop.
Commuter Steven Needham said the Uppermill-bound number 82 bus stopped in the middle of the road to let people on and off the bus.
As people in the queue began to board it, a bus marshal told the driver to move forward and pull in as the bus was blocking the road.
Mr Needham, of Huddersfield Road, said: “While we then waited in the designated place, another bus pulled in front of the 82 which was supposed to be picking us up.
“As we then made our way back to the 82, the driver closed the doors and pulled away.
“The nonchalant shake of the head and shrug of the shoulders as he sped off into the night were downright insulting to all.”
A First spokesman said: “After receiving Mr Needham’s complaint we carried out an investigation into this matter.
“As a result of this investigation we would like to apologise to Mr Needham and his fellow passengers for any inconvenience caused.
“We are in the process of contacting Mr Needham to apologise to him in person.
“We will be speaking to our drivers on this route to ensure better customer service in future.”
First provided the disgruntled customer with three weeks’ free travel as a result of his complaint.
Comments
"we'll be speaking to the driver......." yeah, course you will! i'm sick of being left by ignorant drivers who, drunk with power, think it's jolly good fun to shut the doors just as people are about to board then drive off grinning. you should also speak to the drivers on the 81 to manchester (it's only 81a on the way to waterhead lads and lasses) who ignore the fact that they should stop at the stop just lower down huddersfield road than the shepherd's boy.
I have been left stranded at bus stops in the Oldham area 3 times over the past 2 weeks. Two buses pull up together and you get caught up in the queue of passengers and the bus pulls off before you can get on. Drivers don't look at bus stops as they hare past-you get left standing with your hand out and your mouth open-totally aghast. The best one is waiting at a bus stop when your bus driver drives into the wrong bus station, can't or doesn't bother to turn back and again you're stranded.
Until recently i had not been on a bus for a very long time.The huffing ,puffing ,scowling and swearing! The schoolkids on the back of the bus were no better!
First buses are a disgrace. So they rocket up their fares, yet the customer service remains at a dire level. Just a few month ago I was chucked off the bus for politely asking the driver why it took him over 40 minutes to make a 3 minute turn around. He reacted like I had verbally abused him. I stated I was a paying customer I'm entitled to make a query. He said I had an "attitude" and sent me off the bus. Yeah so he's employed to give good customer service, yet thinks he can act how he wants..?
To take myself and my two kids 2 miles up Ashton road was a fiver, the return journey in a taxi was less. No putting up with swearing kids, bus drivers with attitude and comforts of a car, And they wonder why we hate public transport.
Have Your Say
Scattered amidst the conscientious, nothing too much for them bus drivers, are a breed of joyless misery guts, ever eager to ruin the unsuspecting commuter’s day. Somewhere on the evolutionary timeline between Homo erectus and Homo Heidelbergensis, this monosyllabic upstart is to be avoided at all cost.
By shaun mcgrath @ 18/01/2012 16:05:57