Pensioner wins payout after being ‘stranded’ at bus cease in freezing climate

A disgruntled pensioner has successfully taken a bus company to court after he and his wife were left abandoned in the freezing cold.

David Poole, 83, and his wife Gwynneth, 82, who suffers from dementia and mobility issues, were waiting for Arriva’s No 6 service in March when the bus allegedly “sailed straight past” them.

The couple claim they had arrived well in advance at the H3 stop at Chequers Bus Station in Maidstone, Kent – even sharing the bench with another potential passenger. However, it is alleged that the bus service did not stop, leaving them “stranded” in the chilly winter weather.

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Mr Poole said: “My wife Gwynneth has dementia and is unsteady on her feet, so we were sitting on the bench by the stop with one other lady who was also getting the bus.

“It came and was even on time – but it didn’t stop. It just sailed straight past us.”

Mr Poole, a retired computer manager for Kent and Maidstone councils, says he immediately contacted Arriva’s customer service team to complain. He informed them about his wife’s mobility issues – and about the fact that the next bus was not for another hour.

An operator apologised and said the issue would be investigated – then suggested Arriva would cover a taxi fare. But when Mr Poole tried to claim the cost of his taxi ride he didn’t get very far.

He has since won a County Court Judgement against Arriva for £84 – to cover the taxi fare, court costs, and interest.

But Arriva still hasn’t coughed up the cash – so Mr Poole is pondering whether to call in the bailiffs. Transcripts of Mr Poole’s conversations with Arriva’s customer service show he was told: “If you need to get another mode of transport, I can put in a request for a refund for you.

His response was: “That would mean a taxi, wouldn’t it? ” To which the agent replied: “If you just reply back to my email with a picture of the taxi receipt, I can get that looked into for you.”

Yet, when Mr Poole tried to claim his £34 taxi fare back to his gaff in East Peckham, Kent, it was a whole different story.

He was knocked back by Arriva, which claimed the bus didn’t even stop where he’d been waiting – despite it being on the normal route and him catching the same bus from there before. Then they said CCTV from the bus didn’t clock anyone waiting at the stop.

Fuming, Mr Poole said: “Following their ‘investigation’ they first of all tried to tell me the No 6 doesn’t even stop at the Chequers.

“Then they suggested we weren’t even there. Anything except admit it was their fault.

“It’s not really surprising that the forward-facing camera on the bus did not pick us up on the seat. But we were there.”

After waiting around for four months until July for his refund, no joy – so he escalated his complaint to the County Court.

In September, after Arriva didn’t respond to his claim, he won a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against the bus firm for £84. Fast forward another month and Arriva still hasn’t coughed up – now Mr Poole is considering getting the bailiffs in.

Explaining his frustration, he said: “If they had just apologised, and said the driver had been given instruction, I probably would have dropped the whole thing.

“But it made me wonder how many other passengers are treated like this and left stranded?”

He added: “If you just walk away and accept the poor service, that’s all we will ever get.”

Arriva has been approached for comment.

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