Driver kicks walkers off bus
Agroup of elderly walkers were booted off an Auckland bus after being accused of “acting like animals” — a decision Auckland Transport has called unacceptable.
The eight walkers, aged between 72-79 years, were left traumatised after a bus driver suddenly pulled over on a journey from the city’s waterfront to Henderson on Sunday and refused to take them any further.
He allegedly told the group they were speaking so raucously he couldn’t concentrate on the road.
At one point the driver allegedly stormed to the back of the bus where the party, fresh from a walking trip exploring Waiheke Island, sat and launched an unprovoked tirade, accusing them of acting like idiots and demanding they sit in silence.
Walker Ellen Holliday said the party of four men and four women — known as the Blue Top Walkers — were singled out by the driver of the near-empty bus twice.
Auckland Transport spokesman James Ireland said any such treatment of passengers was “unacceptable” and said AT was investigating.
“Auckland Transport has spoken to the bus operator who are investigating this and will be meeting with the driver this afternoon.”
After berating the group for their behaviour, the driver insisted they exit the bus on Great North Rd, leaving them stranded well short of their destination.
Holliday said the driver had initially pulled up outside SkyCity and waved his arms at the group seated at the back of the bus and again near the Auckland City Mission.
When the group asked what was wrong the bus driver stormed to the back of the bus and said: “You are all acting like animals and this sounds like a fish market. You must stop talking so I can concentrate.”
Holliday said the walkers were silent for a time but decided it was too absurd and began their conversation about their outing.
Not long afterwards the driver pulled over and switched off the ignition and refused to restart until the pensioner group tagged off.
The driver accused the group of being drunk and unruly and said “he couldn’t understand us because we came from a different country”.
Holliday flatly denied accusations of drunkenness.
“He said we’d been drinking. The strongest thing we had to drink all day was two cups of coffee.”
She said the bus was held up for 10 minutes during the stand-off. The group decided to get off the bus, apologising to fellow passengers. Three others got off in sympathy.
Holliday said the group got home on the next bus to Henderson.
The group immediately filed complaints against the driver with Auckland Transport.
A spokeswoman from the bus company, Pavlovich Coachlines, said she couldn’t comment on what was an “internal disciplinary process”. the