Bus driver verbally abused for not speaking Welsh

A BUS firm has defended its workers after they were abused for not being able to speak Welsh.

Bosses at Lloyds Coaches in the small market town of Machynlleth, Powys, have called on Welsh-speaking passengers to stop hurling barbs at its Englishspeaking drivers.

One English driver working for the firm, which runs services to a number of Welsh-speaking villages, hit back at the abuse.

He told one passenger: “It’s like the Premier League mate. You want the best talent, you have to import it, and here I am!”

Others travelling on the buses voiced their displeasure at the taunting. “No bus driver deserves to be abused,” one man said. “It’s a hard, responsible job as it is. Get off their backs.”

“Only ignorant, angry people are rude to strangers,” another woman told North Wales Live.

With companies across the UK struggling to fill staff vacancies, some have been forced to axe and restrict the services they provide. One passenger noted the importance of non-local workers for the local economy and services. He said: “People need to get it right. Without their willingness to work... this country would have been in a far worse place.” The family-run independent firm defended its drivers, underlining how “proud” it was of its diverse workforce, adding that it will not tolerate the abuse against its staff members.

A spokesman said: “We’re proud of our diverse workforce here at Lloyds Coaches, with our staff hailing from Blaenau to Bratislava, Machynlleth to the Midlands. Our staff should not be abused for not being Welsh nor being able to speak fluent Welsh. They are

‘Our staff should not be abused for not being Welsh nor being able to speak fluent Welsh’

here to get you to your destination, day in, day out, come rain or shine.”

Customers have defended the firm and branded the service “Efficient, thoughtful and polite.”

“Excellent service with courteous, helpful drivers,” was one female passenger’s appraisal.

It comes after the bus firm was praised after a quick-thinking driver helped a sick passenger by diverting the service to hospital in Bangor, North Wales. The firm even apologised on social media for being 10 minutes late.