Peshwari Naan

2011-09-11T14:16:00.000+01:00

Peshwari Naan is 5 years old today, I wonder if anybody recognised the significance of the date?Oh yes, it is 9/11 and Peshwari Naan was Salsabil's own little jihad against National Express. Well now it is time to move on and Salsabil will not be posting on this blog any more. She has achieved what she set out to do. Salsabil has republished material found on the internet to show that National Express does not operate as well as the company wants the public to believe.Since Salsabil started Peshwari Naan the internet has moved on. There are now not so many blogs to republish as lot of the public have migrated to Facebook and Twitter. With this shift towards social media has come the shortening of messages. People still complain about National Express coaches but these messages are rather short to fit into the framework and dynamics of Facebook and Twitter. Because of this there is less and less material for Salsabil to republish every month. Passengers are still unhappy with National Express coaches but they are not using blogs so much to complain about them. Harvesting their complaints on Facebook and Twitter is difficult to provide a quality reading experience. Since Peshwari Naan started, National Express has lost a lot of business to it's new rival Megabus. Passengers will and do vote with their feet and the business gained by Megabus is down to how badly National Express has been running it's operation.So, 5 years was a very good run for a blog of this nature. Salsabil has done her job and is putting her time to other interests. A big thank you goes to fellow bloggers who have provided content for this blog.The final post comes from the Sunday Mirror on today, Sunday 11th September 2011...Disabled National Express passenger left on M1 hard shoulderA COACH driver left a disabled passenger on a motorway hard shoulder when he forgot about her and drove off.Arthritis sufferer Selina Stacey, 45, and other passengers were allowed off to use a service station when they were stuck in a three-hour jam on the M1.She returned just in time to see the coach – and her luggage – disappearing.“My heart was going 19 to the dozen,” said Selina last night. “I thought a car was going to hit me, it was pitch black.”National Express has since apologised to her and suspended the driver.But distressed Selina, from Nottingham, who was picked up by an ambulance, said: “I will never travel on a coach again.”...Allahu Akbar

2011-09-02T17:05:00.002+01:00

Newsnet Scotland reports on 26th August 2011...

Company criticised after wrongly claiming concessionary travel scheme to be cut
General

FRIDAY, 26 AUGUST 2011 07:32 11 COMMENTS
The SNP have demanded a travel company issue a correction after it emerged its Managing Director sent emails to Scottish customers claiming the concessionary fares scheme would be cut.

The Nationalists lambasted National Express after the company wrongly emailed customers in Scotland claiming the scheme which allows pensioners and other group free bus travel was about to end – when in fact it is being protected by the SNP Government.

Andrew Cleaves, the Managing Director of National Express, send a blanket email to customers throughout the UK earlier this week urging them to contact their member of parliament after the Tory Lib Dem coalition announced an end the English scheme.

However the email did not make it clear that passengers in Scotland would be unaffected.

SNP MSP Dave Thomson today demanded National Express correct their email to customers in Scotland.

Mr Thompson the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said:

“I was really concerned to hear that a national coach company had alarmed Scottish customers by wrongly informing them that the reduced coach travel they benefit from was to end in October.

“We do things differently in Scotland and the SNP recognises how important concessionary fares are for our elderly population.

“The Tory-Lib Dem cuts mean bad news for the people from many parts of the UK but the SNP Government is working hard to protect the people of Scotland from these damaging cuts.”

The scheme in England which enabled half-price coach travel for pensioners ends on October 31, 2011 as part of Tory-Lib Dem spending cuts programme.

However, as transport is devolved, the SNP Scottish Government will continue to protect concessionary travel scheme in Scotland.

Mr Thompson added:

“I will be writing to National Express asking them to clarify for all passengers in Scotland that these cuts do not apply to them and that concessionary travel on coach travel in Scotland will continue.

“The company must correct their mistakes and make sure passengers in Scotland are re-assured that their travel scheme remains intact.”

The National Express email:

Important news on the concessionary fares scheme

As somebody who has used the Government's half price coach ticket scheme, we want to give you some important information.

The scheme currently provides up to half price travel for over 60 year olds and disabled people through Government funding.

The Government has announced that this funding will end on 31 October 2011 as part of its spending cuts programme.

While we are looking to introduce a replacement scheme, without the government funding it is not possible to make discounts as high and the cost of travel will increase for you.

We have written to the Government to ask that they reconsider this decision. We have also written to a number of MPs to raise our concerns. Many MPs have told us they agree and have written to ministers at the Department for Transport to ask them whether they have considered the potential impact on eligible passengers' ability to travel.

From your letters and emails, we know that many of you rely on the half price fares. Some have also expressed concern that without it, they may not be able to travel. If you share these concerns, perhaps you could write to, or email, your local MP to encourage them to raise your concern with the Department for Transport.

If you wish to write to your local MP we have included a letter template that you may want to use, simply add your details, print and send.

Comments

# Robert Louis 2011-08-26 18:20
Have National express apologised??

Do National express even care??

The sooner we are independent, the sooner we will be free of this kind of arrogant tosh.

# Ben Power 2011-08-27 00:31
Quoting Robert Louis:
Have National express apologised??

Do National express even care??

The sooner we are independent, the sooner we will be free of this kind of arrogant tosh.

Totally agree arrogant thoughtlessness and a complete lack of care of their Scots clientèle.

# Welsh Sion 2011-08-26 18:40
The message is still on their website, RL:

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/Offers/Over60s.cfm

I haven't heard my spineless compatriots complaining yet though - transport is a devolved matter to Cardiff, also.

One's Government is supposed to protect and defend its citizens, isn't it?

# Arbroath1320 2011-08-27 00:42
Allegedly Sion.

# Arbroath1320 2011-08-27 00:46
Just a thought outside my little favourite box here, but as transport is a devolved issue to Scotland is there not any way National Express can be dragged, screaming if necessary, to Holyrood to explain their ludicrous e-mail and subsequent actions.

Furthermore can the Scottish Government not impose some sort of hefty fine on this company?

# StanLaurelsCat 2011-08-27 05:40
I have a disability which allows me a concessionary travel card which allows me to travel the length and breadth of Scotland for FREE. No half measures from our parliament, no half fares necessary. I was in Edinburgh today and back to Glasgow with no cost involved. Same when I was in Drumnadrochit etc. It's completely different in England though, and as a company, National Express have made a huge mistake with this, as they have needlessly worried a lot of people.
Many may think concessionary fares isn't something about which they should be concerned, but believe me, it allows much more freedom than would be the case otherwise.
Well done to the Scottish Government for keeping this initiative going.

# Fungus 2011-08-27 07:20
It's the typical Brit Nat way of thinking, the universe revolves round Westminster and the fact that we have a separate system doesn't even tickle the consciousness.

If I had been Dave Thompson though I think I'd have referred to the company as international rather than national just to ram the point home.

# fynesider 2011-08-27 13:21
Anybody got Dave Thompson's email address?

# JRTomlin 2011-08-27 21:41
There is a complaint link on their contact page:

http://www.nationalexpress.com/contactus_ct.aspx?feedback=3&travelmode=nec

Or they have a phone number on their contact page.

# fynesider 2011-08-30 10:14
Thanks JR - just used it to send the following:

As a Scottish resident who has never used your coaches I am concerned at the confusing content of the message on your website. As you should be aware a 100% fare concession on your coaches applies in Scotland at the moment and I have seen no mention from my Government of any changes to this situation.

I look forward to your amendment.....

# Stiubhart 2011-08-28 09:31
I have written to National Express..

Dear Mr Cleaves,

As a Scottish resident who uses your coaches I am concerned at the confusing content of your email. As you should be aware a 100% fare concession on your coaches applies in Scotland at the moment.
What,if anything,is going to change?
This is a worrying time & I am confused.
Please clarify matters by return...

Trump International Scotland reports on 26th August 2011...

NATIONAL EXPRESS ALARMING SCOTTISH CUSTOMERS
Posted August 26th, 2011 by admin. Comment (0).
NATIONAL EXPRESS ALARMING SCOTTISH CUSTOMERS

COMPANY WRONGLY WARNS OF CUTS TO CONCESSIONARY SCHEME PROTECTED BY SNP GOVERNMENT

The SNP today lambasted National Express after they wrongly emailed customers (below) in Scotland claiming the concessionary fares scheme would be cut – when in fact it is being protected by the SNP Government.

Tory-Lib Dem cuts to the English scheme saw Andrew Cleaves, the Managing Director of National Express, send a blanket email to customers earlier this week stating that the concessionary fares scheme will be cut – but not making clear that passengers in Scotland would be unaffected.

SNP MSP Dave Thomson today demanded National Express correct their email to customers in Scotland.

Dave Thompson SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said:

“I was really concerned to hear that a national coach company had alarmed Scottish customers by wrongly informing them that the reduced coach travel they benefit from was to end in October.

“We do things differently in Scotland and the SNP recognises how important concessionary fares are for our elderly population.

“The Tory-Lib Dem cuts mean bad news for the people from many parts of the UK but the SNP Government is working hard to protect the people of Scotland from these damaging cuts.”

The scheme in England which enabled half-price coach travel for pensioners ends on October 31, 2011 as part of Tory-Lib Dem spending cuts programme.

However, as transport is devolved, the SNP Scottish Government will continue to protect concessionary travel scheme in Scotland.

Mr Thompson added:

“I will be writing to National Express asking them to clarify for all passengers in Scotland that these cuts do not apply to them and that concessionary travel on coach travel in Scotland will continue.

“The company must correct their mistakes and make sure passengers in Scotland are re-assured that their travel scheme remains intact.

Ken Dunn writes on 17th August 2011...

By the time we reached Heathrow it was well after midnight local time and we just managed to catch the last National Express coach to the West Country, or rather Bristol. With hardly any traffic on the M4 we sped along for thirty miles or so but then pulled over onto a slip road and made an unexpected stop. With a sheepish look on his face the driver switched off the engine, clicked on the PA system and told us that he was experiencing a ‘technical difficulty’. Not again!!! That turned out to be a ‘duff’ radiator. The damned thing was overheating and he would have to wait for a mechanic, from Basingstoke of all places, and if a repair could not be done, another coach would arrive to take us the rest of the journey. Oh, joy double whammy!

We didn’t have the will to resurrect any kind of Dunkirk spirit in the circumstances. We were too knackered for that. I did offer my AA Breakdown card but that didn’t go down too well. Two and a half hours later the mechanic had been and gone. No repair was possible. It would have to be towed back to the garage for that. But then another coach arrived and we were able to complete the journey. At the bus station in Bristol it was now almost 4 o’clock in the morning and we still had twenty miles to get back to our house. No local buses ran at that time and there wasn’t a taxi in sight.

2011-08-04T19:57:00.002+01:00

National Express travels through Ravenshead, Sun 24 July 2011 video posted by catman 2007 on 25 Jul 2011
The commentary describes the situation. briefly National Express refused to honour my ticket from Ravenshead, issuing a new one from Mansfield becausee of road works at Larch Farm cross roads. But the coach travelled the same route as normal, passing the stop where I was prevented from getting on.

Alcohol consumption on National express coach video posted by videopermit on 21 Mar 2011
no alcohol consumption policy on their coaches!! but people are consuming alcohol on their coaches. so if you do not enforce do not make rules!!

2011-07-03T15:45:00.002+01:00

Lucy Skedaddle blogs on 30th June 2011...

The bus journey was uncomfortable, but bearable as we got on first and bagged the disabled seats, so luckily had a bit more legroom. I was exceptionally grateful that the Megabus was sold out so the Turtle booked us onto the National Express. There were only a few people on it to start with, but soon filled up along the way, and was then made entertaining by the skanky people that got on at Dundee and Glasgow. Arguments over who sat where, etc. A girl asked a man to move so that she could get two seats together for her and her boyfriend. The man told her to 'Shut your face and go away.'
Much shouting ensued, and the bus fell silent so we could all listen. The angry teenage boyfriend then had to sit next to a woman up quite close to us, where he fumed and seethed and huffed like only a petulant boy reading 'Heat' magazine and eating Haribo, can.

Dave Tilley blogs on 25th June 2011...

I rather foolishly decided to try travelling down by coach, mainly because of the cost compared to all other methods of getting there. I had to drive to Rochdale to catch the 05:00 coach with a change in Manchester. At the moment the centre of Rochdale is a mess while work on the new Manchester Metro extension is put in and trying to find a parking space at 4:30am was not easy. There were an awful lot of people around at that time as one of the nightclubs was just emptying. Eventually I found a space in the Mecca Bingo Hall. They have enterprisingly used a nice line in income generation by doubling it up as a car park during the day. Not knowing whether my disabled badge would suffice, I bought a ticket and then struggled the 200 yards to the bus station.

When I got on the coach, I went to sit on the front seat for disabled people and was refused by the driver. He told me the front few seats were reserved and despite my protest that I was only travelling to Manchester, rather than for the full journey, I had to go and sit half way down the coach with the other six (yes SIX) people travelling. The driver also refused to help me with my bags and I almost fell when my crutch caught a stray seat-belt. Likewise, there was no help from the driver getting off. Luckily National Express have an SMS feedback scheme, so I made use of that as the coach sped into Manchester. Once we got into Manchester, a 90 minute wait and then down to Brum with a decent seat and a much more affable driver...

...A much nice coach driver on the way home also made the journey more bearable.

2011-06-05T16:55:00.002+01:00

Never found the plot , a blog written by a young mother, posts on the 30th May 2011...

[Snip] I then headed to Liverpool coach station to wait for my National Express coach, granted travelling down the M6 the day of a major football final may not have been the cleverest of mine, however I didn’t count on drunken 40 year old scouse women and a broken chemical loo to make it one of the worst trips of my life. Granted it may have only cost me £8.50 but I wish I’d paid the extra and gotten the train over 3 hours of wanting to be sick and listening to those woman who are clearly not getting any as that all they spoke about.

[Snip] I then had to say my own good byes and head back to get the over night coach home, sad but hubster was due in work the next day so I had to go. Racking up at the station I then found out that the coach was due to stop right outside my house however I was having to go all the way to Liverpool and then get home, annoyed was not the word.

The only plus of this coach was that it didn’t smell, however it was very loud and even at 3am in the morning half cut I couldn’t sleep, by the time we got to Chester the coach driver informed us the coach was broken and we needed to get off and take taxi’s to Liverpool, can you imagine how I felt!

Once squeezed in to the taxi with 3 big blokes, the driver chatted complete crap all the way to Liverpool then I shouted at him when he took the wrong turn to the coach station, telling me he knew where he was going, of which I replied so the coach we were following through the tunnel was going the wrong way then wasn’t it, arggggghhhhhh!

Christopher M. Bell writes on 28th May 2011...

The Coach Trip

The 1130 PM coach from London Victoria to South Shields began its journey inconspicuously enough. It filled all its seats and set out through the permanently lit streets of the capital. Passengers tired, uncomfortable with the narrow legroom and slanting seats but grateful to be on their way to their destinations – home, family, holiday.

I was one of those weary travelers, my body drained by the adrenaline fueled job interview I had attended during the day. I’d been on edge all evening waiting for a phone call from the employer that never came. Now for the first time in two days I could try and relax and sleep through the journey back north.

I woke a couple of hours later to the voice of the driver announcing our arrival in Woodall Services. He said we were just waiting on the replacement driver and if people wanted to leave the bus they had to be back by 3am. I took the chance to escape the rather pungent passenger I was sat beside and stretch my legs with a trip inside the service station to exercise my bowels.

I returned to the coach a little before 3am, the door of which had been left open with the effect that the passengers inside were beginning to slowly chill. There was no driver to be found. No replacement, and in fact no original driver. I returned to my seat and shivered quietly. Other passengers were not so patient and a young lady behind me began to take charge of the situation – if you can call liberally swearing about the coach company a suitable act of leadership. An hour passed and still no driver. Another coach pulled up and our Boudicca marched on the unsuspecting 18 stone driver and demanded to know where ours was. Meanwhile at the request of passengers I had called the coach companies emergency helpline.

“Our office is closed now. Please call again between 8am and 5pm”

It was 338 am. I could only laugh. My fellow passengers didn’t see what was so funny. Returning to my task of communicating our displeasure I sent off a few text messages to the Feedback number advertised on a window sticker. It asked me to rate my journey from 1 to 5. 1 being the lowest. I gave it a 2. I don’t know why. The automated system responded with an apology and asked if I would like a customer representative to call me. My fellow passengers perked up. We were getting somewhere at last. I texted back yes. The automated response:

“A representative will be in touch in the next 48hrs”

I had to laugh again. Maybe it was the exhaustion fuddling my brain. The other coaches driver eventually came on board and announced that our driver had arrived.

“However he was running late and has been forced to take a statutory break. He’ll be about thirty minutes, but he is here. Have a safe journey!”

I think we all preferred it when we didn’t know where the driver was. Various plots to lynch him on his arrival were proposed and knocked down. People were too tired and grumpy to go to the trouble. When he did show he smirked at the sarcastic round of applause from the passengers and explained;

“You’ll have to blame Take That.”

And we were off at last. We had been in Woodall almost two hours. Any longer and the company might have been given a £90 fine for over staying its welcome at the Wellcome Service station.

I settled back down and began to fall asleep again. A loud crack stirred me, and my seat seemed to tilt slightly. When we arrived in Doncaster Mr Pungent, to my relief, got off. Just as well considering my seat then fell to the floor. I picked it up and handed it to the bemused bus driver who counseled sagely:

“Perhaps you better sit on another seat.”

So I did, but the bus didn’t resume its journey. No, three women approached our driver from outside and protested that, shockingly, their coach hadn’t turned up for the last 3hrs. Shocking! A twenty minute delay was followed as our driver organized a taxi for the stranded trio.

And we were off again.

Only not very far as the driver made a wrong turn into a one way street and spent five minutes trying to reverse his cumbersome vehicle out and back to the motorway.

I’d love to say that is where the drama ends, but that would be presumptuous.

After all, we’re still traveling.

—————————————————–

The above was written whilst on the #436 National Express Coach from London Victoria to South Shields on the morning of Saturday 28th May 2011.

Northampton Chronicle & Echo reports on 27th May 2011...

Motorist killed in M1 Northamptonshire lorry smash is named

THE lorry driver killed in a pile-up on a section of the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire on Thursday afternoon has been named by police.

Alan Norman, aged 48, of Nuneaton, died when the vehicle he was driving collided with a coach, another HGV and a Transit box van just north of Watford Gap.

The lorries, which were both travelling northbound, collided just before the M45 turn-off causing a crash involving the National Express coach and the van.

One of the lorries was carrying a pre-fabricated building, which hit the vehicle travelling behind, however, it is understood the pre-fab building was not the cause of the crash.

The crash happened at about 2pm and caused tailbacks of up to 22 miles at the height of rush hour.

Motorists endured lengthy, with the M1 closed northbound between Junction 16 and 17 for several hours to allow emergency services to clear the scene and carry out preliminary investigations.

Drivers were not allowed to join the northbound carriageway at either Junction 15A (Northampton) or Junction 16 (Nether Heyford) and traffic was diverted along the A45, causing lengthy tailbacks on a number of rural roads.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “The motorway was closed between junctions 16 and 17 and the air ambulance was able to land at the scene.

“The tailbacks stretched back to junction 14 at Milton Keynes and motorists were asked to find alternative routes due to the seriousness of the accident and resulting delays.”

The death is only the fifth on the county’s road network this calendar year.

In previous years the death toll on Northamptonshire’s roads has been significantly higher. Last year, a total of 26 people were killed over the 12 month period, the lowest figure ever recorded.

The county’s Casualty Reduction Partnership was disbanded as part of the Government’s cuts process, prompting fears it could result in the number of deaths increasing.

Northamptonshrie Police is appealing for witnesses, particularly anybody who was travelling on the National Express coach which was the Number 450 service from London Victoria to Nottingham, which left London at midday.

Anyone with information can call police on 03000 111 222 - alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Coach Broker reports on 16th May 2011...

National Express introduce breathalysers on coaches to prevent drink driving

Coach travel provider National Express has introduced the Alcolock system to a number of their coaches which calls for the driver of the vehicle to pass a breathalyser test before the vehicle’s engine starts.
The move to roll out this system across the entire coach fleet will prevent any drink driving amongst coach drivers and will ensure the safety of National Express passengers.
Every driver getting behind the wheel of the National Express coach fitted with the new device will have to breathe into the system before they’re allowed to start the engine. If any traces of alcohol are detected on the coach driver’s breath, then the coach will be disabled and the engine will not start.
Any information collected by the breathalyser device will be transferred directly to the National Express head office so if any driver is found with traces of alcohol in their system, they will face disciplinary action immediately, and a worst case scenario will see the driver lose his or her job.
In 2008 a National Express coach was involved in an accident in which 36 passengers were injured. The driver of the coach later failed a breath test. The coach transport provider believes that the new alcolock device will go a long way in preventing a similar incident in the future.
So far, 480 out of the 600 strong National Express coach fleet have been fitted with the breathalyser system.

Nathan Goldberg posts on 15th May 2011...

Nathan Goldberg rails against dreadful customer care of National Express and a truly uncomfortable journey in which he has tremendous trouble sleeping properly

There I was going against my better judgement. Happens more times than it should.

What was it? Travelling to London from Glasgow by bus late at night. You get really good deals but it’s a painful affair with tremendous trouble sleeping.

To call it a pain in the arse is to put it mildly and it’s not only the sitting down, it’s the driving crew, they stand at the door as you try to enter and make life as difficult as possible.

There’s something about the Glasgow bus driving fraternity that makes the blood go cold. They are so miserable and their idea of customer care is to avoid running someone over.

Then the journey in that eerie pitch black bus, where very one tries to but doesn’t succeed in sleeping properly. Various tortured shapes are to be seen, twisted postures abound.

The whole thing is awful not only trouble sleeping but with open resentment by the staff. Not to be recommended.

The company National Express should look at its customer care and take action against all the staff who seem to take a delight in pissing off customers.

Taking a leaf out of a very sweet natured American girl with a beatific smile who works at the cafe in Glasgow’s bus station might be a start. It’s as easy to be nice as not.

Do you feel that surly manners are unacceptable or do you think the drivers and crew have every right not to feel happy about life, like 97% of the planet.

Southern Daily Echo reports on 11th May 2011...

Coach driver's head 'felt like it was going to explode'

A COACH driver described to jurors how he lost consciousness at the wheel as he drove along a Hampshire motorway.

Peter Huggett, is said to have veered off the M27, up onto the embankment before coming back down across all three lanes of the motorway as he drove a packed National Express coach between London and Poole, the court heard.

Jurors have been told the cause could have been him falling asleep at the wheel as the incident happened between junctions two and one on the westbound carriage.

Giving evidence at Southampton Crown Court, Huggett said: “I recall that I was going along quite normally, I’d become very hot from within, not like a sweating, like a burning, boiling hot.

“I have never had it before, it just felt like your head was going to explode, like it builds up inside.”

He continued: “The next thing that I can recall is really coming back on to the carriageway and getting the coach back under control again back onto the hard shoulder.”

He said the last thing he remembered was that he was going to open the window, but said he did not try to open it.

Huggett said he had decided, after checking on passengers and damage to the vehicle, to carry on to Ringwood because he did not believe passengers were safe if he stopped on the hard shoulder.

Huggett, with 25 years’ coach driving experience, said he had felt fine on the morning of the incident on August 28, 2009.

Asked by prosecutor Eleanor Fargin why he had not mentioned fainting in the incident form for his employers, Huggett said he had mentioned it during an employer interview.

The court also heard a transcript of an interview conducted by PC Claire Scammell after the bus, carrying 49 people, was met by police at Ringwood.

Huggett had told officers: “I was feeling a bit hot, so I was trying to open the side window. The next thing I knew, the coach was veering into lane two.

“I realised what I was doing and then steered into the hard shoulder to stop.”

Asked what caused him to lose control, he told the officer: “Whether I lost consciousness or dropped off I don’t know.”

Huggett, 55, of Green Road, Poole, denies one count of dangerous driving.

Proceeding.

Southern Daily Echo reports on 10th May 2011...

National Express driver Peter Huggett denies falling asleep at the wheel

TERRIFIED passengers screamed as their coach veered off a Hampshire motorway and up an embankment, a court heard.

The National Express service from London to Poole smashed through bushes before careering back across all three lanes of the M27 west of Southampton, it was said. Jurors were told the cause could have been driver Peter Huggett falling asleep at the wheel.

Passenger Baden Spooner told Southampton Crown Court that there had been around 60 people on board and the coach had been travelling at 50mph when the incident happened on August 28, 2009.

He said: “It started to creep onto the hard shoulder. I said to my wife at the time: ‘It looks like the coach is breaking down’. I realised it wasn’t straightening up on the hard shoulder, it was going to go beyond it.”

He said the coach went along the embankment for about 20 seconds and described how he had gripped hold of the headrest in front as the coach leaned at “quite an angle”.

“There was some screaming from the back and general kerfuffle,” he added.

After the coach had stopped, Mr Spooner went to check on the driver and found him holding the steering wheel.

“I asked the driver what happened and he said he felt hot and went to open the window and the bus veered to the left.”

The court heard that several passengers had asked to get off while the coach stopped on the hard shoulder, but Huggett had continued driving. The court was told howpassengers contacted the police, who met the vehicle when it pulled in at Ringwood, its next scheduled stop.

The coach sustained scratches and dents to its bodywork and a smashed wing mirror. None of the passengers was injured.

Huggett, 55, of Green Road, Poole, denies dangerous driving. His defence will claim the incident could have been caused by him fainting.

Dr William Gibb, consultant neurologist for Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust, told the court there was no evidence that Huggett was sleep-deprived and no evidence that he had exhibited features of drowsiness beforehand, such as lane wandering.

He said Huggett had not displayed a tendency to faint in the past or since. “I would say it’s almost inconceivable that the event was a faint, so it has to be down to another reason.”

Proceeding

2011-05-07T11:17:00.002+01:00

York Press reports on 22nd April 2011...

Tributes paid to A19 crash victim Martyn Tattersall

THE family of a man killed in a head-on crash in North Yorkshire say he will never be forgotten.

Martyn Tattersall, 50, from Clifton in York, died when his blue Seat Leon collided with a National Express coach on the A19 Easingwold bypass on Monday night.

In a statement yesterday, his family said: “Martyn was a loving husband of Lynne, father of Adam, Sarah and Alex, son and brother.

“We’ll cherish the memories and he’ll never be forgotten.”

The family said Mr Tattersall had lived by the motto: “When shall we live, if not now?”

Mr Tattersall, who ran a bed and breakfast in Clifton with his wife Lynne, died at the scene of the accident, which happened shortly after 5.30pm on Monday.

The coach was carrying 40 elderly passengers. No one on board was seriously injured, but there were several walking wounded who were treated for minor injuries at the scene or in York Hospital.

The road was closed for more than seven hours as police investigated and they are still appealing for witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to phone PC Neil Cholmondeley on 0845 6060247.

An inquest was opened and adjourned in Northallerton yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police appeal to the public...

Police investigate fatal coach collision

Police investigating a fatal road traffic collision in Easingwold are appealing for witnesses to help with their enquiries.

The collision, involving a National Express coach and a blue Seat Leon, occurred at around 5.35pm yesterday (18 April 2011), on the A19 Easingwold bypass.

The driver of the Seat, a 50-year-old man from York, was fatally injured in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coach driver, a 59-year-old woman from Chester-le-Street, suffered minor bruising to her wrist.

Three passengers travelling on the coach, which was travelling northbound to the Newcastle area, were also injured in the incident.

An 81-year-old woman from Loftus, Cleveland, was taken to York District Hospital for treatment to minor injuries, however she has now been discharged.

A 77-year-old man, from the West Midlands, sustained a cut to his left shin and a 47-year-old man, from Swansea, received a cut to the bridge of his nose. Neither casualty required hospital treatment and were treated at the scene by paramedics.

Officers closed the road as they conducted their investigations and to allow for the vehicles to be recovered. A replacement coach was provided to allow the coach passengers to continue their journey.

The road was reopened at 1am on Tuesday 19 April 2011.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision to contact them with information.

Traffic Constable Neil Cholmondeley, of Thirsk Road Policing Group, said: "I would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision itself, or anyone who saw either vehicle prior to the incident.

"The Seat Leon was travelling in a southbound direction, towards York, and the coach was travelling in the opposite direction.

"It is vital to our investigations into the collision that anyone who has any information comes forward."

Anyone who can help the police with their enquiries is urged to contact TC Neil Cholmondeley, of Thirsk Road Policing Group, on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110062916.

Updated: 05/05/11

The Northern Echo reports on 19th April 2011...

A CAR driver has died after a collision with a coach in North Yorkshire.

The crash, involving a National Express coach and a blue Seat Leon, happened at around 5.35pm yesterday on the A19 Easingwold bypass.

The driver of the Seat, a 50-year-old man from York, was fatally injured in the collision and was prononced dead at the scene.

The coach driver, a 59-year-old woman from Chester-le-Street, suffered minor bruising to her wrist.

Three passengers travelling on the coach, which was travelling northbound to the Newcastle area, were also injured in the incident.

An 81-year-old woman from Loftus, Cleveland, was taken to York District Hospital for treatment to minor injuries, however she has now been discharged.

A 77-year-old man, from the West Midlands, sustained a cut to his left shin and a 47-year-old man, from Swansea, received a cut to the bridge of his nose. Neither casualty required hospital treatment and were treated at the scene by paramedics.

A replacement coach was provided to allow the coach passengers to continue their journey.

The road was reopened at 1am this morning.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision to contact TC Neil Cholmondeley, of Thirsk Road Policing Group, on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110062916.

Harrogate News reports on 19th April 2011...

Man dies following coach collision on A19 Easingwold bypass
April 19 | Posted by Editor | News
updated 19 April 2011 at 10:50
The collision, involving a National Express coach and a blue Seat Leon, occurred at around 5.35pm yesterday (18 April 2011), on the A19 Easingwold bypass.
The driver of the Seat, a 50-year-old man from York, was fatally injured in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The coach driver, a 59-year-old woman from Chester-le-Street, suffered minor bruising to her wrist.
Three passengers travelling on the coach, which was travelling northbound to the Newcastle area, were also injured in the incident.
An 81-year-old woman from Loftus, Cleveland, was taken to York District Hospital for treatment to minor injuries, however she has now been discharged.
A 77-year-old man, from the West Midlands, sustained a cut to his left shin and a 47-year-old man, from Swansea, received a cut to the bridge of his nose. Neither casualty required hospital treatment and were treated at the scene by paramedics.
Officers closed the road as they conducted their investigations and to allow for the vehicles to be recovered. A replacement coach was provided to allow the coach passengers to continue their journey.
The road was reopened at 1am on Tuesday 19 April 2011.
———————————————-
Emergency services yesterday (18 April 2011) attended the scene of a serious road traffic collision on the A19 Easingwold byass.
The collision occurred at 5.35pm and involved a car and a coach. The male driver of the car received serious injuries and has subsequently died in Hospital.
The coach was carrying around 40 elderly people however none of the passengers received serious injuries. A number of passengers were walking wounded with minor injuries and were treated by paramedics. The driver of the coach was also not injured. The coach passengers are currently being transferred onto another coach to continue their journey.
The road was closed for approximately five hours to allow police investigations. The entire Easingwold bypass was closed at both roundabouts either end, with a diversion through Easingwold Village.
Police are appealing for witnesses of the collision to contact them. Please call Traffic Constable Neil Cholmondeley at Thirsk Road Policing Group on 0845 6060247.

2011-04-01T12:58:00.002+01:00

BBC News reports on 18th March 2011...

National Express apologises over stranded elderly man

A bus company has sacked a driver and apologised for leaving an elderly Hampshire man stranded at a service station in December.

Eric Tomlin, 85, from Hedge End, got off a National Express coach to go to the toilet when it stopped in Exeter as the bus' own facilities were broken.

He said he felt "absolutely devastated" when the bus left without him.

Managing director Andrew Cleeves visited Mr Tomlin at home to apologise and offer him free travel for life.

Reported missing
Mr Tomlin had been travelling from Southampton to Plymouth to visit his wife in a retirement home in Devon when the bus made a stop at the Exeter service station.

Despite telling the driver he was going to the toilet as the on-board facilities were out of order, the coach left without him, but with his coat and mobile phone still onboard.

He said: "I told him I wouldn't be more than two or three minutes ... But I saw the back end of the coach leaving the station. I thought 'what am I going to do now?'"

He was saved by David Gaskin, who took Mr Tomlin to his own home in Saltash and helped him contact his daughter who had reported him missing.

The company initially offered him £20 compensation.

Mr Cleeves told him National Express "hadn't looked after you at all well".

He said the company had changed its procedures to ensure passengers were back on board after a stop and to investigate complaints quicker. The case is also being specifically used in staff training.

After the apology, Mr Tomlin said: "I wish it hadn't happened to me. I just wanted a plain, simple coach ride."

Omnibuses blog posts on 17th March 2011...

End of the £1 Fare?

National Express is reported as seeing a three per cent growth per annum thanks, it says, to value fares and a recession that’s resulted in organic growth. But UK rail is once again doing better still, in spite of that same recession with, according to Passenger Transport, year-on-year growth of nearly 12 per cent.

And that’s in an era of record rail fares increases, and at a time when NatEx has shrugged off its internet-only £1 bargains. Perhaps time is money, hence the rail growth. Perhaps rail users are fed up with motorway and urban-area congestion.

When and if we crawl out of recession, we can expect even greater rail growth. But where will this leave NatEx and other bargain based express coach providers who have benefited from recession? Initiatives such as reducing the average age of its fleet by about two years will no doubt stand NatEx in good stead. It & Greyhound already have class leading legroom but it remains difficult to shrug off the poorer image of coach travel, a perception that leaves express coaching at the bottom of the national transport debate.

NatEx’s £1 internet-only fares attracted few new customers, it says. People apparently had a very jaundiced view as to whether such fares were actually available in the first place. And those in the know snapped them up as soon as they were released but would’ve travelled in any case. If £1 fares are not generating traffic, might other express providers have to change their tactics?

Robert M Lidster writes on his World Travel Reviews blog on 3rd March 2011...

... Having made such huge savings on my previous trip with National Express and having no problems with the journey whatsoever I decided to look into the possibility of travelling to Portsmouth by National Express coach.

As luck would have it there were still “Fun Fares” to be had with fares starting from as little as £1.00. The way the system worked on the website meant that you could only book “Fun Fares” either from or to London, this meant I had to book my journey in two parts. First I booked my journey from Clacton-On-Sea to London Victoria, the coach would depart at 07:25 from outside the railway station in Clacton-On-Sea and it would arrive at London Victoria coach station at 10:20, the cost £5.00 !

The second leg of my journey meant me catching another coach from London Victoria at 11:30 ( giving me just over an hour between connections ), I would arrive at the ferry terminal in Portsmouth at 13:30 two hours before my boat sailed at 15:30. Cost for this coach trip £6.00 making a total fare of just £11 to travel from Clacton-On-Sea to Portsmouth, a distance of about 155 miles, total time of journey with connections 6 hours. If you are booking on the normal fares it is possible to book the entire journey as one and not have to do the two separate bookings that I did.

Well at these prices there was no contest and after convincing my wife into getting up at 06:00 on her day off from work in order to drive me to the railway station to catch my coach at 07:25 I was on my way.

The National Express coaches are modern, comfortable coaches with W.C. facilities on board, all seats are fitted with a seat belt which it is now a legal requirement for passengers to use, something that was pointed out to all the passengers by the driver on my previous National Express trip to London but on this trip our driver was not as chatty or as informative and gave no safety announcements at all.

The Service I was on was number 484 and we left Clacton on time at 07:25, the coach was about 25% full at this stage, we made stops at the University of Essex, Colchester, Witham and Romford and arrived at London Victoria on time at 10:20 although we sat outside the coach station for several minutes as the station was full and there was no space for us.

By the time we arrived at London the coach was full to capacity, in fact at Colchester the driver had to turn away a gentleman who had not booked but was hopeful of buying a ticket on the coach, he went away disappointed. The journey was uneventful other than on the A12 between Colchester and Witham when three cars in the middle and outside lanes became involved in a road rage incident, the lead car in the fast lane slammed on his brakes sending plumes of smoke billowing from his tyres, the car behind him also braked hard and swerved to miss the car in front and in doing so came into contact with the third car in the middle lane, there was then what can only be described as a frank exchange of words. Luckily we were in the inside lane and avoided getting involved and our driver continued on his way.

Facilities at Victoria coach park are very good with plenty of seating, shops and places to buy food and drink and toilet facilities. The information boards were clear as were the gate numbers and directions, it was all very similar to the set up at an airport.

Service 030 from London to Portsmouth left two minutes late at 11:32 but Nathan our driver did give us a safety talk and all the information we needed for the trip. It was now raining hard as we left London and would continue to rain for the entire journey, this slowed us down as did the many road works that we encountered. We arrived at Portsmouth about twenty minutes late but still with plenty of time for me to check in and have something to eat and drink.

Even when the “Fun Fares” are not available, National Express offers very good value travel, as long as time is not too great an issue and you are looking for a cheap, comfortable alternative to the train, then it is well worth looking into.

2011-03-04T17:18:00.002Z

Mr Justice of the Sunday Sun reports on 20th February 2011...

Taking brakes off National Express refund

THE wheels on the bus may have ground to a halt but I moved into action to resolve a plea from pensioner Dorothy Moody.
She asked for my help when National Express refused to refund the cost of two tickets from Sunderland to Milton Keynes.
Dorothy said she was scared to start the journey, in the middle of last year’s snowstorms, in case the bus became stuck and was unable to reach its destination. She had paid £66 for two tickets for herself and her son to attend her sister’s funeral.
She said: “I booked the tickets but, the day before we were supposed to go, the M1 and M25 were gridlocked.
“I knew I was not able to make the funeral and cancelled the tickets.
“National Express said they were not going to refund the money but I was not the only one to cancel that day.
“What do they do with all that money when the weather conditions are bad?”
I spoke to National Express and asked if there was anything they could do.
A spokeswoman said: “If it was the customer’s decision not to travel and the coach departed it is unlikely that we will offer a refund.”
Nevertheless, I asked National Express to investigate and, before long, Dorothy, of Ryhope, Sunderland, received a call offering a full refund.
She said: “They said they couldn’t tell me if the bus had completed its journey but said they would give me a refund.
“I am most grateful for your help. It’s all down to you.”

2011-02-02T11:09:00.002Z

bad boi bil posts this video on YouTube on 23rd January 2011...

jus crooky posts this video on YouTube on 5th January 2011...

2011-01-01T18:36:00.002Z

Perthshire Advertiser reports on 31st December 2010...

Fisherman hooks £600 fine

A PETERHEAD fisherman hid in a long-distance bus toilet, downed a bottle of booze then turned on the driver and a passenger when asked to come out.
Mark Davison was on board a National Express service between Aberdeen and London with 27 passengers in October when he assaulted the two people, racially abusing the passenger.
Davison (40), of Duncan Crescent in the Aberdeenshire town, previously admitted the three offences – two of assault and one of acting in a racially aggravated manner – but was asked to attend personally at Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
He was fined a total of £600 for his offences.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Cole told the court that the bus was travelling down the A90 when a passenger informed the bus driver that another passenger – Davison – had locked himself in the WC.
He stopped the bus at an Inchyra layby and investigated alongside the passenger.
After two minutes of knocking on the toilet door Davison emerged with a carrier bag containing an empty bottle of vodka, the fiscal depute said.
“The driver told him he wasn’t allowed to drink on the bus. The accused then pushed him on the chest, causing him to stumble back,” Ms Cole added.
Davison turned on the passenger after he asked him to stop, pushing him too, shouting, “fucking shut up” and “fucking nigger”.
The driver returned to his seat and called the police.
Davison’s solicitor said the actions had been borne out of his drinking which had “dimmed” his behaviour.
He was on the bus travelling to England for a fishing job there, the solicitor explained, adding that he had a lengthy criminal record.
Sheriff Michael Fletcher described the offence as a “ nuisance type” which had interrupted the “peaceful journeys” of the other passengers.

Ledbury Reporter writes on 29th December 2010...

Pensioner seeks apology for stolen luggage

A LEDBURY pensioner is seeking an apology after her luggage was stolen while she travelled on a coach.

Pamela Hansen also wants National Express to pay up after the thief struck in Gloucestershire.

The 69-year-old arrived at Gloucester empty handed after a three-hour journey from London’s Victoria Coach Station.

Her muddied luggage was found at Cheltenham Spa bus station weeks later missing clothes and cosmetics worth £300.

Gloucestershire Police have examined CCTV but have advised the pensioner to claim compensation from the bus company.

But Mrs Hansen, from Church Street, says she was only offered £170 and still hasn’t received an apology.

“I’ve got a lot of items back but I can never use them – they look like they’ve been dragged through a swamp,” said Mrs Hansen.

“The last time I saw the luggage was at Victoria.

“I’ve been offered £170 but I’ve lost £300 and I haven’t even had a letter of apology from the coach company.”

Chris Jackson, media communications officer for Gloucestershire Police, said no arrests had been made following the theft.

He said the victim’s open suitcase was found on a bench missing a new dress, shoes and a vanity case containing cosmetics.

National Express was not available for comment at the time of going to press.

Varsity - The Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 reports on 22nd December 2010...

December 19th

20:45 Arrive at Parker's Piece, well in time for the bus, which should arrive at 20:50.

21:03 No bus.

21:08 Still no bus, we call home to let them know we may be late.

21:25 National Express hotline closed. Still nothing on website.

21:40 We wind up at Cambridgeshire Police Station, trying and find a warm place to wait. They inform us that National Express have "completely abandoned their customers over the past three days" but that there have been delays on the M11. We decide to try waiting a little longer.

22:20 A National Express bus finally arrives, but it's not ours. The driver informs us all buses to airports have stopped (except Stansted). "What can we do?" I ask. "Not my problem" comes the curt reply. I attempt to get some more information but he accuses me of: "attempting to impose your reality onto mine". Too tired and cold to be angry, we decide to go somewhere warm to figure out what to do next.

Emma of irregular expressions writes on 21st December 2010 ...

[snip to the interesting bit]...We were a little confused about the announcement as the woman making it had been the one sat behind the Megabus desk. The departure screens were still showing the 1830 National Express service to Cheltenham as running on time. We decided to see if we could get tickets for that. By this time it was about quarter past six. When we got to the ticket desk and saw the length of the queue (a couple of hundred metres) our hearts sank yet again. there was no way we’d get to the front in time. There were automatic ticket machines which we investigated and found to be out of order. In desperation we decided to go and try and ask the driver if he would sell us tickets.

This is the point at which someone did one small thing that made a huge difference. We explained our situation and all he said was ‘just get on the bus’. He didn’t want any money for tickets, he just let us on. By the time we’d made our way to two seats I’m afraid to say I was in tears, not just out of relief that we were going home, but because I was overcome by someone being so nice. I know it cost him absolutely nothing – there were loads of spare seats on the bus – but we really thought he was going to be a complete jobsworth and refuse to sell us a ticket and make us queue up, or worse, that the bus wasn’t going to be running. I don’t even think it was because I was quite clearly pregnant, I think he would have let us on anyway. 5 minutes later we were on the way home.

All the way back we sat there feeling really lucky. If things had turned out differently – if we hadn’t gone back to the station so early, if we hadn’t spotted the early bus, if the bus driver hadn’t let us on – we’d probably be stuck in London trying to work out how to get home. We got back to Cheltenham at around 10pm and were amazed to find the roads nowhere near as bad as we had expected, although the last few miles coming over the Cotswolds were a bit tricky. We really want to make sure the driver gets some kind of thank you aside from the huge hugs we gave him when we got off the bus, but we don’t want him to get into trouble: if we e-mail National Express and say how great he was will they tell him off for letting two people onto his bus who hadn’t paid? I really hate the thought of that so I think I’ll just say something without too much detail.

Kyrill Poole writes on 16th December 2010...

Thanks to the antics of the questionably sane National Express coach drivers on the 12-hour ride down from Aberdeen – namely putting the air conditioning on ‘cold’ when it was sub zero outside – I now have some horrendous viral infection.

It could be bird flu or Ebola or AIDS for all I know! There is no possible chance it’s the Common Cold. That’s too easy.

Thanks, National Express. I hope you’re happy.
Me – not so much.

Birmingham Mail reports on 1st December 2010...

Coach travellers stranded after man leaps from vehicle

BIRMINGHAM-based travel operator National Express has been accused of leaving terrified passengers stranded after a coach was halted for more than three hours when a man tried to jump off.

The male passenger, allegedly under the influence of drugs, alarmed fellow travellers when he began shouting and threatening to kill himself on a journey from London’s Golders Green to Birmingham and Preston.

Police were called when he tried to force the door of the 52-seat single decker as it left Milton Keynes on Sunday afternoon.

Sarah Hodnett and daughters Madison, aged six, and six-month-old Abigail were among those forced to wait for more than three hours in freezing conditions until a replacement vehicle could be provided.

Husband Justin Hodnett, who was waiting for his family in Preston, said his wife and daughters were frantic.

“My wife said it was obvious the man had been taking some form of drugs. He should not have been allowed to board the vehicle. There was just a female driver without any co-driver, so it was very difficult for her to subdue him,” he said.

Mrs Hodnett and her children eventually arrived home at 11pm – almost four hours later than scheduled.

The coach dropped them in Manchester following a stop at Birmingham’s Digbeth coach station because the driver’s allocated working hours had expired and they had to complete the trip to Preston by taxi.

“My wife was promised hot refreshments by police at Milton Keynes but nothing was forthcoming. They were left stranded. Airlines and rail firms generally look after travellers when there is a problem, but National Express did not want to know,” he said.

“The coach firm had to cover the cost of a taxi from Manchester because all other forms of transport had ceased because it was so late. But there has been no offer of compensation.

“I will never let any of my family travel with National Express again.”

Joy Williams, of National Express, said: “We always do everything we can to support customers involved in a rare incidents of this type. We have refunded the cost of the customer’s expenses incurred during the delay, which resulted from the driver supporting the police with their enquiries.”

2010-12-01T11:36:00.001Z

Wales Online reports on 26th November 2010...

Driver cut free after coach hits tree

A COACH driver was taken to hospital yesterday after hitting a tree alongside one of Cardiff’s busiest roads. The crash – which also involved a red Toyota Avensis – happened on Caerphilly Road, near the Gabalfa flyover, at 10.15am. It led to the road being shut for more than an hour and a half, with knock-on delays to the A470, or North Road. The impact of the crash saw the National Express coach driver trapped inside his cab. The front of the bus was cut away and the driver freed by emergency teams before he was taken to the University Hospital of Wales.

The single-decker coach was carrying 16 people. It was fully evacuated and two passengers were taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries. Other passengers took refuge in the nearby Aneurin Bevan pub before catching a replacement coach. Last night, an investigation had been launched to establish what caused the accident.

And residents living nearby praised emergency services for the “major operation” they carried out. Shirley Nixon, who lives on Caerphilly Road and saw the crash’s aftermath, said: “He was trapped and it looked as though they brought him through the front because the fire service completely dismantled the whole of the front of the bus. We were absolutely amazed the tree wasn’t damaged, and was just standing there like before. We were so impressed with the services – everybody was doing their job and it was a major operation, but they got him out.”

Neighbour Neil Tudor said the driver looked to be “passed out” as he was taken to hospital and said chunks of bark were missing from the tree as high as four metres up.

Derek Johnson, who also lives on the road, said: “We were in the back room and there was a bang. Living on a junction, you often have bangs with people running into each other, but this was a bit louder than usual. I walked over there and it looked like the driver’s legs were trapped.”

The driver was said to be recovering last night from injuries not thought to be life-threatening. In a statement, police said: “South Wales Police officers are investigating a road traffic collision which occurred at approximately 10.15am yesterday morning at the Caerphilly Road junction of the Gabalfa interchange in Cardiff. During the incident, a National Express coach collided with a red Toyota motor car. Two people were injured in the collision and have been conveyed to hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.”

A spokeswoman for National Express coach operator Veolia Transport said: “We are conducting a full investigation and until that is over, we will not be making a statement.”

Wales Online reports on 25th November 2010...

COACH CRASHES OUTSIDE A470 PUB

Two people have been taken to hospital after a National Express coach collided with a car outside a Cardiff pub. A National Express coach collided with a red Toyota outside the Aneurin Bevan pub in Gabalfa on the A470/Caerphilly Road at 10.15am this morning.

The coach driver is one of the two passangers taken to hospital. 16 passengers were onboard. Caerphilly Road has been closed following the incident but is due to re-open just after 2pm today. A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said: “South Wales Police officers are investigating a road traffic collision which occurred at approximately 10.15am this morning at the Caerphilly Road junction of the Gabalfa Interchange in Cardiff. “Two people have been taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.”

2010-11-02T09:12:00.002Z

Muddy High Heels writes on 18th October 2010...

The Problem With Coach Travel.

‘First rule of coach travel; Hard kids to the back’

‘Welcome about your National Express service to London’, what they actually mean to say is ‘Welcome to the next four hours of sitting next to a fat person and behind a woman who cannot control her kids, Oh and you’ll be stopping off in places for unnecessary periods of time that you’ve never heard of before’. There is absolutely nothing ‘Express’ about coach travel, you just happen to be fooled by their low fares and promises of just a 3 hour trip, which in reality turns into 6!

Coach travel should be confined to the purposes of school trips, at least you know your not going to be subjected to awkward small talk about the whereabouts of the coach because you know everyone in your class. ‘Sorry do you know where we are?’ ‘Well we’re both sitting on exactly same coach, I’m for one not a SatNav and two does it look like I’m an avid coach traveller so no I don’t know where we are!?’. The coach driver for a school trip also makes the firm decision that no you can’t drink coke the whole way to National Art gallery or eat sweets until some travel sick child pukes them up. Wise move I’d say not suffering another humans tuna sandwich, apparently the same rules don’t apply on a scheduled coach! You just know when someone pulls out their tin foil wrapper that they wouldn’t have considered everyone elses nasal passages in the process of making this stink bomb, it’s always egg or tuna – go and eat that in private! I feel like I should be carrying round Oust or something, inconsiderate idiots.

The non-refundable, non-amenable tickets are ironically called ‘Funfares’, not once have I had such a blast on a coach that I thought, that is and was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, let me go home and spend another £20 to watch the same person go to the toilet 15 times in one journey. The most disappointing thing is booking a return is probably the only way home, catching a coach home at 9pm at night spending a good 4 hours on it, when in reality you could easily do it in a car in 2 hours. I think I’d rather swallow the small fortune a train would cost so I don’t become a party to the travel circus aboard every National Express coach.

Coach travel as a paying customer compared to the good old school trips are the stuff of nightmares, there’s no banter like buying a packet of wotsits and being chased up and down a moving coach, or the constant chant of ‘Pat get your rat out’ from the back or even the time that we spent 2 hours on the way to a Netball game broken down only to turn back around. Instead we pay to suffer other people’s poor taste in music, appauling time keeping and lack of manners as their bum takes up not only their own seat but half of yours; let’s make this clear I am not a stick! I reckon I could run home quicker than I would do getting that moving bus of hell.

Cambridge News reports on 12th October 2010...

Student’s despair after special treat is ruined
Paul Holland
A student hairdresser was left out of pocket and upset after a special family trip to London was ruined when their coach broke down – and the bus firm initially refused to give a full refund. Donna Hunt, 19, scrimped and saved to treat her mum to a show in the capital but the National Express bus ran into mechanical trouble. An alternative service was arranged but it took two more hours to reach London – meaning they missed the show. Donna, a hairdressing student at Cambridge Regional College, said: “I wanted to treat mum to something to say thanks for all her help and we both wanted to see the Dance Nation show in London. “We were meant to be at Victoria by 5.40pm – giving us well over an hour to get to the show. Instead we got there at 7pm – too late to go and so we just waited at the bus station until 11.30pm to go back home on our return ticket. It was a terrible experience.” To add insult to injury, National Express said it would only be refunding half of their bus ticket prices. Donna said: “Students aren’t rich and I wanted so much to treat Mum.”

When the News contacted National Express the firm said it would launch an urgent inquiry. Within 24 hours they were able to give some good news to Donna and her mum. Not only will they now get all the coach fare cost back, but their tickets to the show have also been paid for by apologetic company bosses. A spokesman for National Express, said: “We have provided Ms Hunt with a full refund for the coach and concert tickets. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. Service breakdowns are rare but we always have a 24-hour support centre available to help customers to reach their destination.”

2010-10-01T18:51:00.003+01:00

Chris Hargreaves writes on 30th September 2010...(snip)...

An hour later the bus arrived at the bus depot. My wife had bought me a ticket 'online' for the journey back, and so after the obligatory delay, a sumptuous six hours on a coach, the constant smell of ****, no heating, and a back of death, I was back in Devon. What did I learn ?

I learnt that London with no money is an evil place to be. I learnt that staff at British Rail in London can be *******, I learnt that London bus drivers are top people, I learnt that National Express is cheap, but rubbish and a bit smelly.

Mike blogs on 29th September 2010...

As I write this I'm sitting on a National Express coach and there's one of those families on board. You know the ones, they speak loudly and seem like they were first cousins waaaay before they were ever husband and wife. The ones at school who had a reading age of eight... when they were sixteen. They all look remarkably the same, all three generations are going on holiday ...to my town sadly. The granny is busy taking photos out of the coach window on her mobile. The noises are both switched on her phone and on her family. She is busy taking photos of everything, a post box, a phone box, a boat of some description, a lampost with Battersea bridge in the background, Chelsea embankment, The Thames, a tree. Presumably apart from the river she has none of these things in her town? I haven't the heart to tell her that none of the shots will come out because she is using the flash. It wouldn't have been very interesting anyway I'm sure but several shots of just a white square may be of interest to Yoko Ono but not normal people.
Thankfully as an intellectual barrier between myself and the family that smell of cabbage is a couple of ladies who are talking about architecture and the design of some of the buildings we pass. I think it's a good job that dumbness isn't contagious otherwise the whole bus would be infected by the time we reach Hounslow and the two intelligent ladies would be discussing X Factor before we reached Hammersmith. Deciding that they couldn't be heard despite them sitting next to each other they first eat some nice smelling food and then kip. Damn my anti dumbass firewall is down. I put my ipod antidote on and watch as we pass Hammersmith, Chiswick and join the M4 where we pass the world famous Heston Services (fuck I sound like my father who would spend hours talking about the route he would drive between North Norfolk and Bournemouth... with every junction included). I watch as the higgeldy piggeldy rooftops turn into to trees as they flash past. The home counties are a blur and I try to type on my netbook as we bump over the cats eyes into a different lane. My legs are killing me, I have blisters the size of apples on my feet and sweaty socks.

bus worker writes on 21st September 2010...

Busworkers carved out by subcontractor

The RMT union yesterday slammed the treatment of a group of members working for First Devon and Cornwall buses on a sub-contract from National Express. They have effectively been sacked following the re-award of the contract to a different company – Parks of Hamilton – who are refusing to abide by their obligations under the TUPE regulations to re-engage the existing staff. The union is preparing a ballot for industrial action over the issue.
RMT website

RMT the transport union reports on 20th September 2010...

RMT slams outrageous treatment of sacked bus staff on First Devon and Cornwall and prepares to ballot for action

Publication Date: September 20 2010

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today slammed the “appalling and outrageous” treatment of a group of members working for First Devon and Cornwall buses on a sub-contract from National Express who have been effectively sacked following the re-award of the contract to a different company – Parks of Hamilton – who are refusing to abide by their obligations under the law to re-engage the existing staff.

RMT confirmed today that it is preparing a ballot for industrial action on First Devon and Cornwall if the company fail to intervene to ensure that the new company comply with their legal obligations and if First Group fail to protect the interests of their staff by re-engaging the workers caught in the middle of the tendering process.

RMT, National Express and First Devon and Cornwall were all clear during negotiations over the award of the contract to Parks of Hamilton that Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) regulations would apply and that existing staff would be re-employed. It is Parks of Hamilton who have refused to comply with TUPE but RMT are clear that First Devon Cornwall also have an obligation to ensure that they do and to re-engage any staff who have lost out as a result of the tendering process.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“The treatment of our members who have been caught in the middle of this tendering process is a disgrace. RMT was appalled to find out that staff who should have been either re-deployed by First Devon and Cornwall, or re-engaged with their service and employment rights protected by Parks of Hamilton, were effectively sacked on the 6th September. That is an outrageous way to treat loyal staff.

“As well as preparing an industrial action ballot RMT will be pursuing legal cases against both First Devon and Cornwall and Parks of Hamilton and we are also demanding that National Express intervene as the client to clear up the mess that this tendering process has created and ensure that our members’ rights are protected.

“It is important that the seriousness of this situation is recognised by all concerned and that the employers meet their obligations to the workforce.”

ENDS

Joe of Catholic Commentary writes on the 20th September 2010...

There were some difficulties (very diplomatic word) with the coach arrangements for getting the group I was with from East London to Birmingham. Two coaches were needed, not one, and we had to wait for the promised second coach, which in the end didn't appear. So despite getting up at 2 am, getting myself organised to look after the fellow pilgrims in the group I was travelling with, and waiting some three hours beyond the advised pick up time, I didn't get there.

Letters have been written!

I put in writing to my fellow pilgrims (a little prematurely, as it turned out!) the following reflection on what had happened to us:
I am writing to let you know how much I share your deep disappointment that we are not able this morning to be with the Holy Father in Cofton Park. I am very conscious of, and appreciated very much, being able to see in the early hours of this morning your commitment to being at that momentous occasion. I am very aware that, for two of you, this was to be your only “live” participation in the events of the Papal Visit; and that, for one of you, the choice to go to Cofton Park was the fruit of a long standing family devotion to John Henry Newman. I reiterate again how deeply I share your disappointment, which only deepens as I follow the Mass of Beatification on a live webcast.

At a time when following the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI is made the object of ridicule and fierce criticism, the opportunity that I had this morning to meet a group of ordinary people of differing ages willing to go to great lengths to be with the Holy Father has made a great impression on me. This was particularly brought home to me by the enthusiasm of the younger members of our group with their banners and flags; by the thought that a number of us had attended the vigil in Hyde Park or been on the Mall during Saturday evening; and by the member of the group who said to me after we had returned home, “I just wanted to see the Pope!”
As I called in to deliver my letter after evening Mass on Sunday, I met six of our group, including the two teenagers - who by a totally accidental chain of events had spotted the coach that was meant to have picked us up, flagged down the driver, and, by stint of even more phone calls to National Express, ended up being provided with taxis to take them up to Cofton Park. Even that was fraught, as they had to rendezvous with National Express staff at a service station on the way up to get hold of passes to gain access to the coach park. They made it just 10 minutes before Mass started. Getting back was also fraught. They enjoyed a lovely experience of inter-religious dialogue, as their taxi drivers were Muslims and talked about how they had just celebrated the Eid festival at the end of Ramadan - as they drove Catholics to a Papal Mass!

I spent about half an hour with them, enjoying a very enthusiastic exchange of experiences of Catholic life and, I hope, prompting a young lady to start hunting for a way to get herself to Madrid next year!

Milton Keynes Citizen reports on 9th September 2010...

The miserable mystery tour

By Anna Sexton

A teenager would be excused for having a touch of road rage after the coach she took took eight hours to travel 70 miles - an average of 8.75 mph.

Nisha Sivalingam booked a National Express coach to take her from Milton Keynes to the Reading Festival, paying £31 for an open ticket meaning she could pick any time for a Sunday return.

But after getting on board, the 17-year-old quickly realised the coach seemed to heading on a road to nowhere.

The A-level student, from Shenley Church End, said: “I went with six other friends and it was all our fist time to Reading. The simplest way to travelling there, we thought, was by coach.

“So we booked an open return ticket for 1.15pm Thursday, due at Reading at 3.15pm. It was an absolute disaster - the bus arrived in Milton Keynes two hours late, travelled for about an hour then had to ‘legally’ take a 40 minute break.

“We travelled for a further 40 minutes just to find out there had been a sat nav failure which meant we had travelling in completely the wrong direction and had to double back on ourselves.

She kept her dad, Vijay, informed of her progress. He told the Citizen: “She called at about 6pm saying she had only just passed St Albans.”

But when the coach finally arrived, the problems didn’t end. Nisha added: “It was roughly 9pm - it was ridiculous. It had rained that day so we ended up trekking through the muddiest swamp-like tracks in total darkness.

“I was really stressed because we still had to find a campsite, for all seven of us and it was impossible to see more than 10 metres in front and even if we could most campsites were already full.”

They finally settled for an isolated site more than an hour away from the nearest toilet and made the most of the event until the return trip on Sunday.

Nisha said: “With our open ticket National Express failed to disclose that people who booked for a specific time got priority over us. So we didn’t get a place on the coach to Milton Keynes, and in the end had to call a friend’s family for help.”

Joy Williams, a spokesman for National Express, confirmed Nisha’s account, adding: “We sincerely apologise for the severe delay to the service and we will refund the cost of the coach tickets.

“We hope this goes some way to apologise. The coaches to Reading Festival took nearly 5500 cars off the road but traffic is inevitable due to the sheer numbers of people travelling.”

According to Google Maps, the three main routes from Milton Keynes to Reading can involve the M1, M25, M4 and B4009 - or a combination of the roads, with a total distance ranging from 52.8 to 84.1 miles, which should take no more than two hours to complete.

Phil Burrow on Blackpool Aloud writes on 8th September 2010...

LAST YEAR Blackpool council took the decision to eradicate around 100 car parking spaces on Central Car Park in order to create 6 coach drop-off points, complete with small bus shelters and marked bays. At a cost of £150,000, it was hoped that this area would become the drop-off point for the many tourist coaches that come into the town. This, however, isn’t the case and the parking area is used more as a short cut through to Central Drive by cars and white van man.

This is all set to change in early October as National Express are gearing up to use this drop-off point as their Blackpool hub instead of the monstrous Talbot Road Bus Station – pending the placement of a porta-cabin office on the site by the council.

In years gone by, National Express used to drop off at the much neglected Lonsdale Road Coach Park and rented a porta-cabin there. This cabin was the point of call for a multitude of bus companies who now either have no Blackpool representation or are represented at Talbot Road. For reasons unknown, National Express decided to uproot and move to Talbot Road Bus Station and their previous base fell into further decline.

On the face of it, relocating the National Express drop-off point to Central Car Park isn’t a bad idea, but as with most things involving the council, it has not been thought through properly.

The first issue to be raised is that of taxi pickups. There is no taxi rank anywhere near this drop-off point, meaning visitors that need to get somewhere have to go walking off to Bank Hey Street. Blackpool taxi maestro Bill Lewtas is, thankfully, pushing for the council to place a rank there so hopefully they will listen and get it marked out before the coaches start using it.

Secondly there’s nowhere for family to wait to pick travellers up, meaning they will inevitably crawl around the car park until the bus turns up in order to avoid paying.

Thirdly the ongoing issue of New Bonny Street being narrowed to a single lane still causes tail backs on Central Drive and an influx of coaches isn’t going to help this at all.

Maybe it’s time for the council to axe all these periphery bus stations and construct a proper terminus on Central Car Park. It could easily be linked into the tram network if required, and who knows, maybe the council could investigate bringing rail back into town!

Edit: The porta-cabin is now on-site but lacks any National Express livery so far. Reportedly a rank for 4 taxis will be marked out too.

...which generated these comments...

Paul Galley
Posted September 8, 2010 at 11:09 PM
This is an excellent article Phil.

If this doesn’t push the council to build a fully integrated transport interchange then nothing will, at the very least taxi’s must be allowed to pick passengers up and dop them of in this area, so many people including myself in the past have arrived with big bags and needed a taxi to get me to my destination.

This decision now leaves us with Talbot Road Bus station being served by 7 stage coach buses a day, it hasn’t been fit for purpose for years and the case for it’s demolition gets stronger by the day.

Bill Lewtas
Posted September 8, 2010 at 11:56 PM
Thanks for this article Phil. Yes it is true that I have asked the Council to place a taxi rank at this location. What I have offered to do is meet someone and discuss the best site for a taxi rank. And yes it would be good to have this arranged for the date it all starts. My information is that buses will start dropping off there from 4th October. I am waiting.

The situation regarding New Bonny Street is an absolute joke. Tailbacks all the way down Central Drive because the New Bonny Street south bound lane has disappeared and been replaced by a coach pick up point. None of the coach companies are using this so all it gets used for is an illegal car park. And during the Illuminations we especially miss the inside lane on New Bonny Street.

The Council needs to understand that consultation with the taxi trade is vital before they make unilateral decisions where to site taxi ranks. Otherwise money is wasted and we get ranks nobody uses or is able to use.

Two good examples.

The Houndshill Shopping Centre taxi rank on Coronation Street is only ever used by taxi drivers wanting to eat lunch undisturbed.

Or the evening taxi rank on the wrong side of Queen Street outside Nunzios Restaurant. Never been used, never been available for use and is not being been enforced, mainly because it doesn’t even look like a taxi rank.

baldred
Posted September 9, 2010 at 12:01 AM
A porta-cabin is on site now, it’s quite big and appears to be from a housing development show home!

Adam Whittaker
Posted September 9, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Well that’s good news – hopefully it’s aesthetically pleasing and doesn’t looik like it’s come direct from an industrial dock!

baldred
Posted September 9, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Phil appears to have taken a photo and added it to the piece!

Adam Whittaker
Posted September 9, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Cheers Phil. It looks better than I thought, but I hope the ‘Marketing Suite’ livery gets replaced to avoid confusion.
(Don’t want international visitors getting the theasaurus out now do we?)

baldred
Posted September 9, 2010 at 11:04 AM
I imagine it’ll be replaced with National Express signage.

David Palmer
Posted September 9, 2010 at 9:38 AM
New Bonny St has never been the same since they altered it to allow a coach drop of enbayment,which is never used apart from private cars using it as a stop off point,I cannot for the life of me understand the need for this facility when they could drop off on the newly built coach terminus that they built on Central car park,it was better as two lanes as now if you get more than 4 cars waiting to turn right onto the promenade it blocks the whole road, so that cars that are wanting to turn left can not get down the street any more due to the upper part of the street been a single carriageway.

I wish these muppets who create these balls up could spend a month driving a bus or being a delivery driver or a taxi driver for a living,instead of playing with the computer programs that they use to come up with these ideas,they would see how frustrating it is becoming to navigate your way around Blackpool,I pity private motorists who are relying on Sat navs these days to get around Blackpool as the software writers will not be able to keep pace with the amount of road changes.

I know that the council claim they are skint when it comes to sorting out the pothole situation that is causing no end of damage to vehicles,(mind you Peter Cross once said in a meeting I had with him that he likes pot holes as it slows traffic down,I ask myself is he really fit for purpose as I do not think so)and I realise that they get grants to create bicycle lanes and traffic calming measures and safer junctions but this should not be the factor alone for managing the road infrastructure around Blackpool,we saw the other week were a young motorbike rider died because they created a ill thought out design of a crossing at St Chads were the kerb on the Northbound lane of the promenade is raised and juts out two thirds of the carriage way,it has punctured a few front tyres on cars as it is not something you expect to see across the carriage way and caught this young motorbike rider out who according to witnesses hit it which sent him flying into the air and into a oncoming taxi who was travelling South, there was no markings to advise motorists that the kerb did this, following this accident the council quickly put some temporary road signs up offering this advice and these have now been replaced with some up right post now,still not ideal,another ill thought out crossing,just like many of the others that they have created. I have to ask when are the motorist going to get a fairer deal from this council, after all we do actually pay a lot for the privilege of being able to use the roads, and lets face it, there is more people becoming dependant on there cars than ever,due to the poor quality of public transport in the resort. It is about time our councillors stud up and took control of the situation before it is to late for another innocent victim.

David Palmer
Posted September 9, 2010 at 9:38 AM
I have noticed that they are now digging up and creating some new road design on Chapel St,I have been told it is to allow them to put a cycle lane in,lets see if this becomes another balls up when it is finished,like Bloomfield Road,cannot understand why they do not consult with the various motorist groups before spending vast fortunes on these new road designs,at least that way they might get them right first time around, saving us tax payers money into the bargain.

Phil Burrow
Posted September 9, 2010 at 12:15 PM
Part of the problem with this location is the amount of drug addicts that are in the vicinity. Talbot Road Bus Station has the same problem, as does Lonsdale Road Coach Station.

These DANFO toilets are, every morning, all occupied by druggies that have to be kicked out by the cleaners.

What will the National Express travellers arriving on the 6am London bus think when they see this? Similarly, would the 10pm London bus travellers be happy waiting there when everything that is grim emerges on to the streets?

2010-09-01T19:47:00.003+01:00

Suzy Scott writes on 1st September...(snip)...

N is for National Express. Well, my rant from a few months ago on the 787 (ran with one of NX’s own drivers, not a subby) went unanswered. However, on the evening of Wednesday 25th August, we were booked to do the National Express 592 northbound to Dundee (it was a few days before pay, and we’d spent a lot during our holiday, so for dad’s funeral, we decided to go up by NX, and take the train south on Saturday 28th August). That evening, we had a huge list of problems with the journey – a warning buzzer that the drivers were ignoring with their iPods (but we were unable to sleep through), driving for many miles in the rain with no offside windscreen wiper (and swerving from side to side), drivers blocking off the access to the emergency exit by kipping on two rows of seats across the gangway, and a coach change at 3am after the driver managed to break off the windscreen wiper that was defective. As if all that was not enough, the two outgoing drivers at Glasgow referred to us as “two big fat trannies”. Now, I’ve lost weight, but that was clearly lost on them. As if all that were not enough, we then found a slash in the luggage that was not there when we boarded the coach! Complaint going in later this week to NX, Parks of Hamilton (the sub-contractor), as well as a copy to the Clerk to the Traffic Commissioner, more for interest over the legalities rather than the lack of care. Will post if/when we hear any more.

Daily Express reports on 23rd August 2010...

TIMELY ANSWER TO COACH DISPUTE

By Maisha Frost

IT'S said time waits for no man and nor did a National Express coach for passenger Anthony Hunt, who was left behind after the bus he had booked left ahead of schedule.
The 68-year-old arrived at the stop in Dumfries, Scotland, to see his 11.40am return connection home to Manchester disappearing from view eight minutes early, at 11.32 .

When Anthony's game attempt to chase it failed, he was obliged to hop in a taxi to make it back for another appointment.

So on top of his £12 ticket he had to shell out a further £112 for the taxi fare, all of which left him feeling pretty miffed.

He complained to the company, saying he had two independent witnesses to what had happened.

However when National Express did respond it turned down his request for a refund of his taxi fare.

But it was the grounds given that left Anthony sceptical.

He told Crusader: "They now concede the driver did leave early, however he claims he returned to the stop five minutes later and has a tachograph reading to prove that.

"But anyone familiar with Dumfries's one-way system will know it's impossible for a vehicle to have returned in five minutes unless Doctor Who or a vampire were in the driving seat.

"And, as I understand it, tachographs do not record specific locations."

Anthony asked Crusader to look deeper. According to technician Ray Engley of the Road Haulage Association, Anthony is correct.

"Tachographs record time, distance and speed, " he confirmed.

But there were two sides to this journey, as National Express explained when it refunded Anthony's £112.

The driver did indeed return to pick up remaining passengers who were on the reservation list but by then Anthony had got his taxi.

The reason why the coach moved off early was because it was blocking the road and a bus needed to get past. The driver calculated that by the time he returned the rest of the travellers would have arrived.

A National Express spokeswoman added: "The coach was not scheduled to stop at the service station where Mr Hunt tried then to meet it.

"All customers are requested to be at their departure point at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

"We operate a 24-hour emergency support line for customers should they experience difficulties while travelling. This number is printed on tickets.

"But after reviewing the incident, as Mr Hunt did not know the coach had returned, we will refund his taxi fare as a goodwill gesture."

Anthony, whose focus had been mainly on the discrepancies, was staggered at the result. "I would have pursued it," he said, "but this is a great outcome that has saved me a lot of time. It's turned out we were both right and I certainly take on board National Express's points."

Peterlee Mail reports on 21st August 2010...

More passengers left in the lurch at new bus interchange

By dominic shaw
FUMING travellers were left in the lurch when a coach failed to arrive at the new Hartlepool transport interchange – the second time in the last week.

A group of passengers arrived at the new £4m interchange at around 8.45 on Thursday morning to wait for the National Express number 426 service to London, which was due to pick them up at around 9.30am. But they were left marooned after the coach didn't show, leaving them all to replan their trips at short notice. As reported in the Mail last week, passengers hoping to board a National Express coach to Leeds were left stranded when that service also failed to turn up.

Maurice Cornish, 63, was one of the people left standing. Due to the no-show he ended up driving the 300-mile trek journey to Brighton on Friday. Maurice, who lives with his wife, June, and two grandchildren, Connor, nine, and 12-year-old Chantell, said: "It was a terrible situation really. "I was supposed to be going to visit my ill sister in Brighton, but because the coach from Hartlepool didn't arrive I would have missed my connection in London. We stood waiting and rang National Express on a number of occasions and we were told the coach had been and picked two people up, but it hadn't. We had been waiting there for a long time. My two grandchildren were already upset about me going away, but now I am going to have to drive all the way to Brighton."

Carolyn Browne was another of the travellers who was left waiting at the interchange. Carolyn, who lives in Sydney in Australia, was in Hartlepool to visit family as part of a summer break in England and was forced to get a train back to London on the Thursday afternoon.
Carolyn, 60, said: "They kept telling us the coach had already been to the interchange, but it hadn't. I was then told I could wait until the Friday to get the next coach or make my way to Stockton, but I ended up having to pay £30 for a train. I don't think I will use National Express any time soon in England."

A spokesperson for National Express said: "We are very sorry that our customers had their travel disrupted. It seems that the driver of the service went to the old coach stop by mistake. We will make sure that all drivers are trained in the new route to prevent this happening again."

Hartlepool Mail reports on 16th August 2010...

Passengers hit out over bus no-show

By Dominic Shaw
TRAVELLERS were left fuming and their plans in tatters after their coach failed to turn up at Hartlepool's new transport interchange.
They then had a three-hour wait at the town's newly-opened terminal. Joan Hall, Graham McSweeney and Elly Hendry along with her daughter arrived at the new interchange at 9am on Friday morning ready to board the 326 National Express service to Leeds. But the group were left fuming as they were still standing waiting at noon, with no sign of the coach.

Mrs Hendry, an assistant manager who lives in the Rossmere area of Hartlepool, said she had phoned National Express throughout the morning and was repeatedly told someone would come out to speak to them. She said: "I rang up the first time and they said the coach had been, which it hadn't. The person I spoke to at National Express said they were going to send someone out to speak to us within 10 minutes but we were there all morning and nobody came. My daughter has a fear of travelling and was anxious all Thursday night. She was sick a few times while we were waiting, she wasn't well at all. I was supposed to be baby-sitting for my newly-born grandson in Liverpool."

Graham McSweeney was due to be meeting a friend in Leicester who was travelling from Nuneaton but had to re-arrange plans after the no-show. The 36-year old, who lives in Perth Street, in Hartlepool, and works at TMD Friction, said: "I had to ring my friend and tell her that I didn't really know what's going on. The whole thing has been a nightmare. This is my day off work and it's just been a waste."

Joan Hall, 70, was due to be meeting her brother in Leeds but he was instead forced to drive to Hartlepool and pick her up. Joan, who lives in Hart Station, said: "It was made clear on our tickets that we would be getting picked up from the new interchange. We had to change all of our plans."

A spokesman for National Express said: "On Wednesday our departure point returned to the Hartlepool Interchange following works on the site and this appears to have caused the incident. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience to the customers and we arranged alternative transport to their destination. We are fully investigating this issue and will be taking measures to prevent this happening again."

Wales Online reports on 6th August 2010...

Good Samaritan killed as she left airport

A Good Samaritan was killed minutes after taking her newly-wed best friend to the airport to go on honeymoon, an inquest heard yesterday.

Mum Melanie Wisden, 34, offered to drive the just-married couple 200 miles to Gatwick for their flight to Tenerife.

But as she left the airport her Ford Ka crashed into a National Express coach and Melanie was crushed to death.

The inquest heard she may have been confused by unclear road signs and the number of different lanes for cars.

Starbucks coffee shop worker Melanie, of Ely, Cardiff, had taken the day off work to drive bride Samantha Macatangay to the airport.

Melanie’s daughter Mia was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding just two days earlier.

Her sister Maxine Wisden, 33, said: “Melanie would do anything for anyone. That’s why she was there, helping a friend by taking her to the airport.

“She was bubbly and affectionate and always had a smile on her face so people remembered her.”

Melanie had only been driving for 10 months when the accident happened at Gatwick’s North Terminal roundabout last September.

West Sussex deputy coroner Christopher Wilkinson told the inquest he would be writing to the Highways Authority asking for a review of the road layout at the tragic spot.

He said: “I do have some concerns in relation to the road layout and position of signs.

“Given the volume of traffic that travels through here every day, there is the potential for drivers to become disorientated.”

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.

When the accident originally happened, her heartbroken family said they initially thought the call from police telling them about the tragedy was a prank call. None of her immediate family knew she had driven to Gatwick.

Maxine said the telephone call from police telling them about the tragedy had sent the family into shock.

“The first thing I thought was it’s not her,” she said. “I went into shock and I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a prank call.”

Mourners at Melanie’s funeral wore bright colours.

Heartbroken mum Valerie, dad Jeff, a driver at RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, and sisters Maxine, Melissa and Jessica, and brother Mark asked those attending to wear Melanie’s favourite colours, which were red, yellow, white and black, to reflect her bright personality.

And a Facebook group dedicated to her gained more than 700 members in just 24 hours.

Western Mail reports on 6th August 2010...

Mother killed in airport bus crash

A MOTHER was killed minutes after taking her newly-wed best friend to an airport for her honeymoon, an inquest heard yesterday.

Melanie Wisden, 34, had offered to drive the just-married couple 200 miles to Gatwick for their flight to Tenerife.

But as she left the airport her Ford Ka crashed into a National Express coach and Ms Wisden was crushed to death.

The inquest heard she may have been confused by unclear road signs and the number of different lanes for cars.

Ms Wisden, of Ely, Cardiff, had taken the day off work to drive Samantha Macatangay to the airport.

The victim’s daughter Mia, 11, was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding just two days earlier.

Her sister Maxine Wisden, 33, said: “Melanie would do anything for anyone. That’s why she was there, helping a friend.

“She was bubbly and affectionate and always had a smile on her face.”

West Sussex deputy coroner Christopher Wilkinson told the inquest he will be writing to the Highways Authority asking for a review of the road layout at the accident spot.

Bus and Coach by Plum Publishing reports on 5th August 2010...

A remarkable change is taking place at National Express, as Britain’s leading scheduled coach operator embraces telematics as a tool to improve operating efficiency and service quality. There’s much to see in the latest specification Caetano Levantes, 51 of which are on their way to Britain’s motorways. But the real interest lies not in the new black leather Fainsa seats, nor in the wood-effect floor or the improved toilet, wonderful as they no doubt are. The real interest isn’t even the adoption of the Volvo B9R chassis to reduce weight, which is still a hefty 13,570kg. The real interest is the Traffilog.

Now, I can be as underwhelmed as the next person by new high-tech gizmos with quaint names – but technophobes should stick with me, because what NatEx is doing is, quite simply, amazing. I am reminded of the words of writer Arthur C Clarke, penned almost 50 years ago: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” And NatEx has brought together a range of technologies which feature in the new Levantes and will be retrofitted to existing coaches over the coming months.

“Our coach product is a good value business,” says Alex Perry, NatEx operations director. “We needed a good value supplier, not gold-plated technology.”

So, first, a practical benefit of Traffilog. It saves fuel by raising driving standards. On trials covering 12 vehicles, fuel consumption improved by 8 per cent from 8.81 to 9.52mpg. NatEx is aiming for a 5 per cent improvement across the fleet. This aspect of Traffilog is called D-MAS, Driver Manoeuvre Awareness System, and like other driver monitoring systems records harsh acceleration and braking.

It also records G-forces on corners. Coloured lights on the dashboard tell the driver how well he or she is doing, and the data is also relayed to the NatEx control centre and to the contractor providing the coach. The trial saw the number of recorded events – not necessarily serious, but with the potential to affect passenger comfort – reduced from 713 to 418 in two months, with a 90 per cent reduction in harsh braking.

“We’re not challenging the driver with information,” Perry says, “we’re reminding them of something they’re aware of”.

The vehicle tracking system records the coach’s position every 30 seconds, and this has considerable potential in improving the information available to NatEx customers. If they are waiting at a coach station they can know precisely when their coach will arrive. Service controllers can make informed decisions about holding coaches back to await an incoming vehicle carrying passengers making a transfer.

Ultimately passengers will be able to check the timing of their coach using a smartphone application. Perry sees a world where a waiting passenger with a smartphone looks at an on-screen map which shows where he or she is, and where the approaching coach is.

Complaints about coaches being late or not turning up can be settled using the evidence rather than the conflicting testimony of aggrieved passengers and a possibly innocent driver. If the driver goes off route, the system will show it – and it can be configured to highlight prohibited areas in towns and cities where drivers use rat runs to try and avoid congestion, a subject which can bring complaints from local residents. A coach entering such an area will trigger an exception report.

The Traffilog system also monitors the saloon temperature. “Ten per cent of our complaints are about the temperature on vehicles,” says Perry. “The sensor will advise the driver if the temperature is outside the desired range.” It will also check engine idling time.

And on top of all that, working with uTrack, the data can be used to analyse timetables and, where appropriate, revise running times on journeys which are regularly subject to delay. This will produce more realistic timetables and help NatEx improve service punctuality.

The telematics platform adopted by NatEx could be used for electronic ticketing, and that in turn would allow the company to build up profiles of its customers and to offer them tailored travel incentives.

Other developments include the adoption of Alcolock across the fleet. It is currently fitted to around half of the 500 coaches operating on NatEx services. With Alcolock the driver has to blow in to a breathalyser before the ignition will start. Each driver has his or her own mouthpiece, and if the equipment records a positive reading for alcohol a message is transmitted to the NatEx control centre and to the operator’s depot and, of course, the coach won’t start. The Alcolock is activated at an alcohol reading of 19 micrograms per 100ml; significantly lower than the UK legal limit of 35 micrograms.

NatEx ruled out seat-back entertainment on its latest coaches, not only on the grounds of cost and complexity, but on the basis that most customers bring their own – iPod, DVD player, laptop or whatever. A 240v socket is provided for each pair of seats. And not everybody wants to be entertained. “60 to 70 per cent of our customers want to go to sleep,” says Perry.

With rapid advances in technology NatEx is open to future advances. “We need to develop things that we haven’t yet thought of,” Perry concludes.

Oooh Gurl blogs on 4th August 2010...

Being extremely poor and living a fair distance away from my parents, a large portion of my life is spent travelling between London and Leeds via coach. Over the past few years I have arbitrarily decided that National Express are better than Megabus, but I am secretly completely aware that they are essentially exactly the same, and any good or bad experiences are just as likely to happen with either company.

When embarking on one of these said journeys I've realised that a massive checklist pops up in my brain subconsciously - the overall success of the journey depending on the total number of ticks I get. The more I travel, the more factors get added to the list.

First thing's first - is someone sitting in the seat next to you? This is usually met with a giant tick, but on the very rare occasion that it isn't WELL DONE YOU! Things are looking up! This is really a very important factor in how successful your journey will be, because without a complete stranger sitting next to you, you are able to a) relax and b) STRETCH. OUT. You can even put your bag on the seat! Oh God, evidentally it's been a long time since this has happened to me.

Then, there are range of variables that can significantly alter the outcome of your journey. With these, however, no single situation is ever really the ultimate, deciding factor - they are accumulative. For example, someone repeatedly kicking the back of your chair or, in fact interacting with your chair in any way, mainly from behind, is one. I definitely think that the person in front leaning their seat back into your face also falls into this category. People listening to loud music near you. Admittedly one time this happened, and I was so pleased with myself for identifying both the artist AND the track, that I didn't care (RHCP - Scar Tissue) but for the most part it is all diabolical dance trance music - WHY? WHY WOULD YOU LISTEN TO THAT ON A FOUR AND A HALF HOUR COACH JOURNEY?

Okay more minor offences: smelly food, drivers who insist on listening to godawful radio stations, drivers who insist on having excrutiatingly loud, banal conversations with each other, traffic jams, children (this is an entirely separate category to the Ultimate Deciding Factor), children talking, children playing with anything, parents encouraging their children to do anything other than sleep, drivers who insist on being 'hilarious' over the tannoy, PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO SWITCH THEIR PHONE ON SILENT.

Fuck it. Mobiles can have a whole paragraph. I have never understood this. As soon as you set foot on a coach, turn your phone on silent. Did I mention four and a half hours? The only thing anyone could possibly be doing is reading or sleeping - both of which are heavily interrupted by mobile fucking phones. I am that person. I am that person who is sat directly next to the extremely old person who has clearly never received a phonecall in their ENTIRE EXISTENCE, until that specific moment. I'd say it takes them about half an hour to realise that they are in fact the source of that all too familiar Nokia ringtone, and a further fifteen minutes or so to actually track down its location. No. No. No no no, there should be a rule against this. Why isn't there a rule? There's one for everything else. People who are having text conversations: aren't you EMBARASSED? Don't you HATE YOURSELF? Stop it.

Earlier I mentioned the Ultimate Deciding Factor. I'm referring to it like this because as soon as get on a coach, no, as soon as I book the coach journey this is what I'm thinking about. Crying Baby. As far as I'm concerned, everything could be going swimmingly - no one next to you - No one even in the same half of the entire COACH as you, but if Crying Baby is present, it's all over.

So, here's a rundown of yesterday's coach journey: Show the man the ticket on my mobile, turn round to let the other man put my bag in the bag compartment, turn back around to see original man HILARIOUSLY pocket my phone, har har har, I do a stupid laugh so as to seem less uptight than I really feel, he hands it back and I get on to survey the damage. Brilliant, as far as I can see everyone's sat by themselves next to the window seats - at this point can I just say WHY WOULD YOU SIT AT THE BACK? mentallists, so I ask a woman 'hi, is anyone sitting there?' 'oh, no.. i'm just ...- bullshit about how she's attempting to move her bag bullshit bullshit-' UGH, woman on the other side says I can sit next to her THANK YOU, I scowl at original woman who is now sitting sheepishly with a completely free seat next to her. The journey begins! So far, so good, but why why are we now in Wakefield? What is happening? I have never been here before WHAT no explanation - minus points. We pick up more passengers and oh, oh it was going so well.

An old man gets on, but you know the type - not just an old man, old man bordering tramp *don't sit next to me don't sit next to me don't sit next t-* I feel my entire seat lurch backwards OF COURSE. Of course, he sits behind me, suddenly disregarding his walking stick in favour of MY SEAT. He smells like old marmite. This has become the deciding factor of my journey. Old Marmite Man. He goes to the toilet about seven times in total, each time my seat is used as a lever, and each time I lose several strands of hair. He gets off at Milton Keynes. Bloody Milton Keynes - who thought up That route? We arrive twenty minutes later than expected. I am not impressed. 6/10?

South Woles Guardian reports on 4th August 2010...

'You've walked 520 miles? Another 10 won't hurt!'

AN EXHAUSTED pilgrim from Saron who averaged 27kms a day in an epic 520-mile march across Spain was looking forward to putting his feet up when he arrived back in Swansea.

But footsore Sid Whitworth was forced to hobble the last ten miles home from Llanelli after an over-officious bus driver refused to drop him off at Cross Hands.

"I was pretty miffed to say the least," a haggard-looking Sid, who trudged all night to get home to Saron, told the Guardian.

"I didn’t realise that all National Express tickets have to be pre-booked through the Internet.

"My ticket got me as far as Swansea and from there the bus travelled on to Cross Hands, just a couple of miles from my home.

"The driver me offered me an excess for £20 but I just didn’t have enough money.

"Yes, I am annoyed with National Express – I am annoyed by their inflexibility."

National Express were unavailable for comment.

The Westmorland Gazette reports on 3rd August 2010...

Family stages Kendal bus station protest

A NATIONAL Express coach destined for London was delayed for an hour in Kendal Bus Station when a family staged a sit-in protest.

Dina Barbier and her seven children, aged from two to 18, sat in the luggage compartment of the coach in the Blackhall Road depot after the driver refused to let them on the vehicle.

It is understood the driver would not let the family, from Kingston on Thames, on the coach due to their behaviour on the trip down to Kendal a few days before.

Police began negotiating with the family and during the incident a 17-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace. Another girl, in her late teens, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

Both were released from police custody that day, with one reported for summons on an assault charge.

A National Express coach spokesperson said: "The police were called for assistance to help our driver after the decision was made some passengers weren't able to travel due to inappropriate behaviour.

“The National Express support centre as a result arranged for onward travel for the family by other means."

2010-08-01T18:15:00.000+01:00

A Transport of Delight reports on 31st July 2010...

National Excess

The UK's largest scheduled coach operator has made modifications to its luggage policy, which sees an airline-style excess charge applied to oversized and overweight items. With very little publicity, this has become live only recently.

National Express' luggage policy ostensibly remains the same, however:
One item of hand luggage may be brought on board the coach, provided it can be stored in either the overhead compartment or beneath an individual seat
Two items of luggage may be stored in the coach's boot, provided neither item exceeds 20kg
'Outsized' items, such as skis and surfboards will be carried provided sufficient room exists at the point of boarding
Excess luggage will be carried provided sufficient room exists at the point of boarding
However, on the matter of 'outsized' items and excess luggage, a fee will now be charged per item: £10 single, £15 return. The fee will also apply to the two items of permitted boot luggage if either exceeds 20kg. Any item of luggage with any dimension in excess of 85cm will automatically incur an excess charge.

Furthermore, the definition of hand luggage has been (rightly) clarified, in so doing, made stricter:

With the exception of brief cases, no hard-shelled cases, wheelie bags or hard-framed rucksacks/back packs will be allowed on board.

I'm sure there are hundreds of readers who travel with National Express regularly and, while their luggage provision may be sensible, have seen plenty of people's whose aren't!

With such strict guidelines imposed with virtually no advance warning to passengers, it came as quite a shock to us when we were told by one driver (and since received clarification from many others) that scales and tape measures have not yet been supplied by the company. It would seem that while National Express want to introduce similar luggage restrictions to airlines, they are not yet equipping their drivers with an adequate means of clarification. There's a very good reason why an airport check-in desk has scales.

The prospect of arguments between cashless tourists and drivers will be high. Until tape measures and scales are issued, one driver's consideration of what is 25kg will be what another driver believes to be 20kg; one driver's consideration of 85cm will be different to another's. While NX is encouraging a common sense approach, one has to wonder whether the introduction of such an excess baggage policy to the coach industry is itself common sense. There seems little point of such new rulings when, to save a loss of custom, drivers are to be asked to effectively back down when confontation occurs.

Megabus don't charge for excess luggage and neither does Greyhound. It is true that there have been occasions when NX has found itself with more luggage than certain coaches can handle. This used to take place on overnight journeys between London and Cornwall when Trathens operated the only double-deckers on the network (Neoplan Skyliners). Then, a van would be hired and follow the coach to somewhere like Exeter. At £500 a pop, any profit from the journey was wiped out, so it's understandable to see why these 'deckers no longer operate NX services.

Even with scales and a tape measure, alienation is what will occur when a driver demands £10 else refuse to load the luggage. Especially on competing services to university cities. You might pay the excess once, but when the term is over and you're lugging all your worldly possessions back home, you'll stay well clear of NX and choose Megabus, Greyhound, the train, or - worse still - arrange to be collected by car.

Unless Megabus et al are to follow suit. We can but hope not.

If you take care of your luggage and ensure you never exceed 20kg and that the cases are compact and well packed, you may be of the opinion that those who do not ought to be charged. Drivers are not permitted to lift any item of luggage in excess of 20kg - asking a passenger to load his luggage alone if in excess of 20kg is punishment enough?

The company recorded 1% growth last year, which isn't too far off what is recorded normally, so the effects of recession don't appear to have forced this ruling's inception as a means to offset lost revenue. Perhaps the nature of coach travel is to change? NX's very skilled and capable route team is currently working on the largest shake-up of its coach network since privatisation, with the results expected to take place next year. Dean Finch, the group's new chief executive, has said that there are some aspects of the coach business they do better than others and that they should concentrate more on these.

Creating ambiguity through the interpretation of their new luggage policy, regrettably, isn't one of them - not if drivers aren't yet properly equipped and passengers not properly informed of the financial consequences of travelling with more than they should.

**UPDATE** from an anonymous emailer: I have been issued with my scales and tape measure as of start of work today. 'Argumentsville' here I come....

Scarborough Evening News reports on 14th July 2010...

Goodwill's fears over coach firm

SCARBOROUGH'S MP Robert Goodwill has written to National Express to ask why its operators are increasingly turning to foreign-built coaches ahead of their British counterparts.
Mr Goodwill believes the move has played a part in the current struggles of famous Scarborough coach builders Plaxton.

Last month it was revealed that around 75 of the Eastfield-based manufacturers' 500-strong workforce could be made redundant, with the company blaming a drop in demand and "continued uncertainty in the coach market".

A points-based system has been used to decide which employees are to be let go. Workers' sickness records, skill level and productivity were taken into account, with the scores being decided by managers.

The majority of National Express services are contracted to local bus and coach companies.

Mr Goodwill said: "As I understand it, a coach that runs from Bristol to Edinburgh, for example, would be run by a company which would operate as a franchisee of National Express. But National Express has certain stipulations.

"It is obviously Plaxton's single biggest customer and I have written to National Express asking it to look at its policy.

"There are a lot of foreign coaches made in Spain which are operating now. Most people would probably have no idea what type of coach they are travelling on but I am a 'coach spotter', and if Plaxton is out of favour then I want to get to the bottom of it. There may well be a simple reason."

In February, the Evening News reported how around 20 jobs could be lost after the company revealed it was considering redundancies. Last year the manufacturer scrapped Friday morning working for employees, who were informed the shifts would end for at least two months.

Mr Goodwill added: "I think many operators would opt for a Plaxton coach given the choice. It may be more expensive up front but would be more cost-effective and retain a higher resale value.

"I would like to arrange a meeting with National Express to find out why it decided another type of vehicle should be used and why it is promoting foreign-built coaches - particularly when there is the new Plaxton Elite coach which is state of the art."

2010-07-01T20:40:00.000+01:00

This is Sussex reports on 18th June 2010...

Crash causes delays on M23

A COACH caught fire as it tried to get onto the motorway today, causing traffic chaos. Motorists were at a standstill for around two hours after a National Express coach caught light as it tried to get onto the M23 from junction 9, Gatwick.

The coach was travelling on the slip road trying to get onto the southbound carriageway when the incident happened at around 11.35am this morning (Friday).

All passengers were taken off the coach and the southbound exit at junction 9 was closed for two hours, causing severe delays to motorists.

2010-06-01T19:22:00.000+01:00

Contact Music has an interview with Holy State - published on 27th May 2010 and an interesting snip for readers of Peshwari Naan is...

Have you ever fallen out? How has it been together so far?
M: Well we all have jobs now, the dole isn't glamorous as it seems!
D: It's been funny sometimes, sprinting to get the last train out of London with equipment.
R: Getting National Express everywhere, we were the kings of National Express.
V: It got to the point at one time where we were so poor we were forging coach tickets on our mobile phones!
R: One night Dan and I had the worst journey of our lives, because we had to get about 10 different buses, London to Birmingham, Birmingham to Manchester. Manchester to Sheffield. We got back at 6 in the morning, it was horrific.

Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette does an article on 21st May 2010 titled "What laws would you do away with?". It includes this suggestion...

Mrs Jean Whitefield, 79, is retired and from Stanley, County Durham. She was visiting South Shields for the day with her husband Ken, 86.

She would like to see a law to combat another very common complaint: "People on buses with mobile telephones."

"You can only hear half of the conversation. We got on the National Express from Durham to Manchester and we had to put up with an hour and a half of someone doing that."

Steve Thomas writes on 11th May 2010...

National Express - Don't use it.

Recently, well about 3 weeks ago me and my good friend went to Birmingham and back from London by using National Express and it has changed my views entirely on the operator but not for the better, actually it has put me off using their coach services for good!. Ok I have been on some services of theirs that were nice, quick and comfy compared to the railways but the Birmingham - London link is where it all falls apart. The drivers are illegal immigrants that obviously cheated their way into driving for National Express by fraudery. The people who use it are obviously the same, being immigrants but also being convicts and murderers, basically it's like the London bus route 36 but much longer and trust me, if you're the only English ones on it then you are basically stuffed. On the way back from Birmingham, or Immigrant City as I like to call it, was unbearable. The seats were nice but the driver refused to put the Air Conditioning on, maybe because he was too used to hot climates but it made the coach baking hot and hard to breathe in. I know for sure that it is illegal to drive a coach with no windows without having the Air-Con on but saying that the driver was an illegal immigrant so basically a no-win situation. It took over 3 hours to get back into London and by that time I had a massive headache and my friend decided we should get off at Golders Green instead of Victoria to avoid adding 40 more minutes to what was an already unbearable journey and to use the Tube into St Pancras where I can get on a High Speed link home. The Tube, which I usually refer to as a collection of overheated boxes on wheels was a releif after getting off the coach, it was much cooler and it had more Air-Con than the coach.

I since been on several National Express coaches and looking carefully they have gone right downhill with their standards. I saw one coach of theirs which was in a right state yet the driver called it roadworthy. Actually it wasn't, it had mould on the Air-Con vents, on the windows too and the seats were stained by god-knows-what and the driver had the attitude that nearly made me punch his lights out. What happened to the high standards? What happened to the nice cheerful drivers? and Whats more, what has gone wrong? All I noticed recently is that more illegal immigrants and arsey younger drivers are taking to the streets driving the coaches and do such a poor job yet no-one complains. Had one driver come up to me after taking a photo of the coach he was driving asking to delete the photo, because I took so many of the different coaches I had to ask which one was he driving. He couldn't say the Registration plate or the make, all he knew it was a Volvo. Yeah that really narrows it down and just to get him off my case I lied and said I didn't take a photo of the coach he was on, after he left I called him one word that suites him well......but I can let you guess that. It's no wonder Megabus (provided by Stagecoach) and Greyhound (provided by First) are doing so well, the provide a nicer, quicker service and runs on tougher rules than National bloody Express. The management of National Express needs a good kick up the rear.

2010-05-04T17:17:00.006+01:00

Google News reports today...

Passing coach injures pedestrian in Winchester
Hampshire Chronicle - ‎3 hours ago‎
PC Paul White said today: “The coach, which is believed to be National Express, did not stop, but I understand that a number of witnesses were banging on ...

...but following the link, it gives you...

Hampshire Chronicle reports on 4th May 2010...

Passing coach injures pedestrian in Winchester
2:40pm Tuesday 4th May 2010

A WOMAN had a narrow escape from serious injury when she struck on the head by a passing coach in Winchester on Saturday.

The 60-year-old suffered head injuries, requiring three stitches at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

She was on Bridge Street when the collision happened at about 9.30am on May 1.

Police believe she was struck by the open door of a side cargo compartment on a coach as it passed her.

PC Paul White said today: “The coach did not stop, but I understand that a number of witnesses were banging on the side of the coach to attract the attention of the driver after the incident, without success.

“There are therefore a number of witnesses to this incident and I am keen to hear from anyone who saw the collision, or indeed the coach before the event.

“I am also keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the coach afterwards, as I believe the driver would have, at some point, stopped to close the open door.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any further information about the coach and its driver, should contact Winchester police station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

...So, Salsabil wonders whether PC Paul White said “The coach, which is believed to be National Express, did not stop, but I understand that a number of witnesses were banging on" or if he actually said "“The coach did not stop, but I understand that a number of witnesses were banging on". What did PC Paul White actually say? Was this sloppy reporting by the Hampshire Chronicle or are they going to get advertising revenue from National Express, so decided to drop the reference to the company?

Northampton Chronicle and Echo reports on 1st May 2010...

Bus fire caused staff evacuation

Office workers had to flee their building in a Northampton street after the smoke of a coach on fire was so strong it set off internal fire alarms.
The Chron reported yesterday how the National Express coach caught fire in Bridge Street moments after the driver pulled over after smelling burning.

Onlookers described how fierce the blaze was but employees of Northamptonshire Probation Service, based in Walter Tull House, said yesterday late-working staff had to scramble from their desks and flee out of the back entrance as the blaze took hold.

Employee Jenny Dooley said: "Some of us were still at work and because people were still coming and going the smoke got into the offices and set off the alarms.

"When they realised where it was coming from they had to evacuate out of the exits at the back."

Police closed Bridge Street while three fire crews tackled the blaze and stopped it spreading to Walter Tull House. Firefighters told the Chron that the driver, who was on his way to Milton Keynes, had dropped off his passengers at a bus stop in town minutes before the fire started, which was at 5.45pm.

Passers by called 999 and East Midlands Ambulance Service sent out a fast response vehicle and an ambulance but nobody required hospital treatment.

The gutted vehicle was finally towed away and the road reopened at about 8pm.

Police scenes of crime officers were yesterday still working with fire officers and National Express to investigate the cause of the fire.

A spokesperson for National Express, said: "An incident occurred on one of vehicles as it returned to the depot yesterday evening.

"There were no passengers on board and the driver was not injured. Customer safety is always our priority and we have launched a full investigation to determine the cause of the fire."

John L Jarvis writes on 30th April 2010...

National Express and the volcano

I sent the following complaint to National Express a few weeks ago -- when that whole business with Eyjafjallajökull started.
Hello,

I called your switchboard around 1530 yesterday regarding the coach trip my wife and I were supposed to take later that day (at 1830) to Heathrow. I wanted to know whether there was anything I was supposed to do prior to the bus leaving if I wanted to get a refund, as we'd just found out that our Saturday a.m. flight was cancelled due to the ongoing volanic ash problem.

Your staff member -- I don't remember his name -- told me that I was not eligible for a refund, even though we'd paid extra for a refundable ticket, because it was less than 72 hours prior to the departure of the coach.

I find this to be completely unacceptable, as we had no way of knowing the status of our flight 72 hours prior to the coach leaving, and therefore whether we'd need a refund. And I think you'll agree that this situation in particular is so extraordinary that no customer should be expected to anticipate it.

My wife and I have been frequent National Express customers since moving to England last year, but this incident has seriously shaken our confidence in your company. With the added cost of a hotel, we've decided that it may in fact be cheaper for us to simply hire a car service on the day of our flight, as opposed to using National Express the night before, to avoid this sort of situation in the future.

I believe we are entitled to a full refund, and ask that you acknowledge this complaint in short order.

Sincerely,

John Jarvis
I received a letter from them in the mail yesterday stating that they "cannot accept liability for customers who were unable to travel. Therefore [they] cannot offer a refund." I wasn't asking them to accept liability; I just wanted them to ease up on the 72-hour notice bit this one time, in what can only be characterized as extraordinary circumstances. As my wife said, there really isn't much point in paying extra for a refundable ticket, assuming we decide to travel with them again.

Northampton Chronicle and Echo reports on 29th April 2010...

Town centre street sealed off as coach catches fire

A town centre street was sealed off tonight after a National Express coach caught fire in Northampton.
Huge flames and a blanket of smoke poured out of the back of the coach at about 5.45pm before firefighters were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze.

Fire crews were forced to work quickly to prevent the flames spreading to nearby buildings. No passengers are understood to have been on the bus at the time of the fire, which started in the seating area of the coach.

The cause is under investigation. Nobody is believed to have been injured in the fire.

Crews from Mereway, Moulton and Earls Barton were called to the scene.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called following reports of a National Express coach being on fire. Bridge Street has been closed due to fire safety reasons."

Angus Kidman writes on 19th April 2010...

A Model Complaint Letter (And Why You Should Never Travel On National Express)

Travel is often full of minor annoyances, but sometimes things go so badly that complaining is the only option. Here’s one example of how to go about it, plus a firm warning to any UK-bound travellers to avoid National Express at all costs.

A little context: I’ve been on holiday with friends and their family in the UK, and we’ve unexpectedly become stuck as a result of the Icelandic volcano activity. To make the most of the extra time, we scheduled a day trip to Cambridge by coach, but things went very badly wrong. As a result, I can only suggest that any fellow readers planning a European holiday avoid National Express no matter how appealing their prices might look. Our experience suggests the only reason the prices are low is that the maintenance system is non-existent.

Not only did National Express (the largest coach company in the UK) provide an abysmal experience in both directions, even their complaints process leaves a lot to be desired. As well as refusing to accept an Australian email address (claiming it wasn’t valid), it also promises a response within “10 working days” — hardly a model approach for a consumer-centric company.

In one way, this isn’t the ideal complaint letter: it doesn’t specify the outcome required by the traveller. But sometimes, all you can do is vent.

Let me tell you how your useless company ruined our family day out to Cambridge.

It all started when the 09:15 service from Stratford to Cambridge arrived on time and then promptly broke down. At 10:00 we tried to call your company to see if we could use our tickets another day, but no-one was available to take our call . . . Meanwhile the 10:15 service came and left.

The bus driver was kept in the dark like the rest of us “mushrooms” while we waited and waited for — wait for it — three Ford Transit minivans, which turned up one and a half hours after we were due to depart, and at about the time we were due to arrive at our destination. Of course they didn’t send buses with enough seats and four of our travelling companions were left on the pavement! Well done…

The “replacement” buses were from a hire company, which beggars belief. Surely you would have had a few spare coaches, especially given none of the services to Stansted or other airports would have been running. A bus company without buses is like a pub without beer! Unbelievable . . . but, it gets better!

We used our now limited time in Cambridge to have a quick look around before boarding our booked return service – the 15:30 back to Stratford. Wait for it… as we were boarding the bus driver told us that the air conditioning was broken and there was nothing he could do about it.

So, for the hour and a half back to Stratford, on a sunny day, we all sweated like pigs and slowly dehydrated. So, now with a splitting headache I write to thank you for thoroughly and most completely ruining our day with your substandard service, epic incompetence and lack of duty of care for your customers.

I don’t anticipate a response as I expect your web form is as useless as the rest of your business. I would not give you guys a licence to operate a worm farm, let alone a corporate entity, supposedly providing a “service” to the paying public!

2010-04-02T20:48:00.002+01:00

The Herts Advertiser reports on 30th March 2010...

Coach bursts into flames in Redbourn, stranding passengers heading to airport

A COACH transporting passengers to Heathrow Airport burst into flames along a road in Redbourn today (Tuesday). The National Express vehicle was travelling along the B487 Hemel Hempstead Road when the driver raised the alarm and evacuated the passengers on the bus at around 11am. The coach was soon engulfed in flames, leaving around 30 passengers stranded at the side of the road.

A police spokesperson said that the road was closed between the junction with Shenley Road and the roundabout with the St Albans Road while recovery takes place.

St Albans fire station watch commander Paul Farrow said: "The coach was on its way to the airport when one of the passengers smelt smoke so the driver stops and gets everyone off and unloads all of the luggage, then the flames started coming out of the roof. When we arrived the roof of the coach was fully involved in fire and the inside was full of black smoke."

It is thought that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the cabling running through the overhead locker space.

Watch commander Farrow praised the actions of the driver and said: "The driver was very good, he got everyone off the coach quickly.

His quick actions also saved all of the luggage; it was a really good effort.

Hemel Today reports on 30th March 2010...

Driver a hero

A driver was a hero after he evacuated passengers from a coach which burst into flames on its way to Heathrow Airport. The National Express driver assisted around 40 people off the single-decker Scania and rescued their luggage after a fire started in
the roof at around 11.05am today (March 30) on the B487 Hemel Hempstead road, Redbourn.

The road was closed as crews from St Albans, Harpenden and Redbourn smashed a window to let smoke out as the fire engulfed the vehicle.

Shug Comics writes on 30th March 2010...

I got a National Express coach from Leeds at 00:20, foolishly thinking I could catch some Zs on the way down. Which would have been possible if not for the three people that took it in turn to sit next to me. The first, a sexy lady, who's knee contact I didn't mind one bit. But she got off at Chesterfield to be replaced by a guy who elbowed me several times, waking me each time. Again, he was off at the next stop. The final man sat with his legs so far apart I swear I could smell his undercarriage. I wouldn't say he sat next me... More ON me. I rudely shoved his knees away with my own but he didn't take a hint and I wound up leaning over the radiator sweating so much I think I shrivelled up a bit.
I won't be taking the cheap option again.

Mosher writes on 19th March 2010...

National Express – thank you

To follow on from my earlier post , I spoke to my mum last night and a letter/cheque arrived from National Express with a full refund. I was about to get all shirt with them as they never replied to my emails!

I can’t complain, I suppose. Again, they were acting within their terms and conditions but as an act of good faith to a whinging old fart they’ve done well.

So – thank you National Express.

Deadline Press & Picture Agency posted a news item written by Cara Sulieman on 3rd March 2010...

A BLIND student has been left struggling to pay her rent after her specially adapted laptop was stolen during an overnight coach trip to London.

Maria Marchaqa, 28, wasn’t allowed to take the £1,000 computer on board the bus with her as it was too bulky.

When she got to London, the laptop was missing from the hold compartment.

And the student says she has lost her independence and feels cut off after the theft.

“Very difficult”

She said: “I’m at a complete loss now. I have no means of communication and feel completely isolated.

“It is bad enough, but I am not going to be able to pay my rent for much longer. My equipment was my lifeline.

“The amount of time it takes me to write an essay means I have no time to go and play music, which is how I earn my rent and my living.

“My partner is being supportive but we are struggling. It is very difficult as I am normally very independent.

“My life has just stopped.”

Maria is studying business administration at the Royal National College for the Blind and uses her music to help pay the bills.

Robbed of independence

During a recent trip on a National Express coach, Maria was upset when she was asked to put it in the hold instead of carrying it on board with her.

The total cost of laptop and speech-recognition and Easy Braille software was more than £1,000 and the item was not insured.

A spokesman for RNIB Scotland said: “It’s bad enough for anyone to have something stolen, but for a person with sight loss, the theft of a vital piece of equipment like this also robs them of their ability to participate in everyday life.

“In Maria’s case, it has disrupted her education and ability to earn a living.

“We very much hope that if whoever is responsible reads this, they will return her property. Surely they will realise how devastating the consequences of their actions have been.”

A spokeswoman for National Express said: “We apologise to Maria for the inconvenience this had caused and we are in touch to offer some compensation for the loss.”

She added that luggage can only be taken on board if it fits in overhead luggage racks or under the seats.

2010-03-01T18:41:00.003Z

Mosher writes on 1st March 2010...

National Express - adding insult to injury

National Express assed to my misery somewhat by “fining” me for being on a delayed flight… and then allowed people who hadn’t changed their tickets onto the later coach for free. That isn’t on. Hence the following letter. Let’s see what I get back.

I booked a return from Stansted Airport to Norwich online a couple of days before travel. Unfortunately due to French air traffic controllers, my plane from Glasgow was delayed by three hours. I called your helpline who told me it was £5 to change my ticket to a later bus which I duly paid by debit card.

However, when I got to Stansted I found that several other people had fallen foul of the same delay and were boarding the bus happily without a changed ticket.

Given that this delay was due to matters outside of our control I felt that this was a nice gesture by your driver. However, I feel aggrieved at being charged £5 as I went through the “correct” channels. After a long delay (with no food due to EasyJet never being adequately informative about when the plane was actually going to turn up) this really added insult to an injurious evening.

Incidentally, your call centre staff and website also mistakenly listed my arrival time in Norwich as 02:40 when the bus arrived at 02:00 – which seems correct judging by the timings of earlier schedules. As a result, I ended up waiting in the freezing cold of the bus station for ages to be collected by a friend who’d expected me to turn up 40 minutes later.

I’m going easy on them as, in fairness, my ticket change and fee were within the sale conditions. I just feel “punished” for going through the correct motions to change the ticket when those who didn’t/couldn’t were given a freebie.

Suzannah Deith writes on 16th February 2010...

Following a particularly nasty crash a couple of years ago on the M1 involving a coach full of passengers and one over-the-limit driver, National Express have been trialling the use of the Interlock Breathalyser systems on their fleet of coaches out of Birmingham. Two years on, and finally it is official – they are installing them on their entire fleet of coaches – more than 500 vehicles. (‘National Express fit Alcolocks to its coach fleet’ BBC News, 10 February 2010)

The driver of the M1 crash had apparently come home from holiday and spent the whole night up drinking alone, before going to work to do the Birmingham-Stanstead Airport route. He mistook a sliproad to a service station as a junction, and came off the road at 57mph hitting a tree and a lamp post. When tested he gave a reading of 145 milligrammes per 100ml of blood – with the legal limit being 80. Incredibly, everyone survived – just. 33 injuries, 7 severe, 1 amputation.

He has been jailed for 10 months, given a 4 year ban for drink-driving, a 2 year disqualification for dangerous driving and a fine of £500. Not to mention losing his career and the respect of his friends and family.

Hopefully this should start to become a rarity as more and more companies realise the importance of installing a device that will prevent the vehicle from even starting without a clear breath sample being produced. Whilst its admirable that National Express have taken this route, we need the rest to follow – why should ANY passenger be at risk?

The Interlock is most commonly used for companies such as National Express, but we have had a few personal users have them installed as a means of ensuring their car cannot be driven by anyone over the (preset) limit. Examples would include the family car used by teenagers (giving the parents the comfort of knowing it CANNOT start if the driver has drunk anything), the concerned family of an elderly driver who seemed in denial about the amount consumed at various social events, and even those who have had a drink-drive conviction in the past and never wish to repeat the experience.

Ryan Wiancko writes on the 4th February 2010...

...I arrived in Heathrow around 8pm GMT+1 and made my way to the Bus terminal to catch a Bus that would take me into Cambridge. I remember checking prices online and seeing that a one way fare into Cambridge was 17 quid so I took out 20 pounds from an ATM and went to purchase a ticket. The cashier told me that it was 33 pounds not 17 and that there were no cheaper trips. I suppose I could have been slightly perturbed that my $34.00 bus ride was now $66.00, but I just took it in stride and went back to the ATM to get out some more cash. I came down and this time there as helpful employee of National Express directing me over to a self-serve computer terminal where I could choose my ticket and print it off myself.. Funny that they have the self-serve terminals but it needs a lady there to help people use it. Either way she set me up and when I explained to her that it was strange that their website said that the ticket was 17 quid and the cheapest they could find me at the till was a 30 pound ticket she informed me that it was the direct connection that was expensive but I could take a bus with 3-4 stops that was half the price. The funny thing that the cashier lady just decided not to take into account was that the direct connecting bus didn’t leave for another hour and the one that had 4 stops and was half the price left in 10 minutes and was only 40 minutes longer. So for half the price I was getting into Cambridge 10 minutes earlier. Nice one lady! So grateful and relieved I bought my ticket for 17 quid and mosied on over to the boarding area to get all sorted out for my 4 hour bus ride to see Fabian. The bus left from the Heathrow station and then took me to the Victoria square bus terminal in London where i had to wait 30 minutes or so for the connecting bus into Cambridge. Luckily the bus terminal in London has free wifi so I was able to get online and do some work while I waited. It was in this bus termianl that I learned that pay-per-use toilets are in effect in some areas of london and that social propoganda has worked its way into my consciousness. Here’s what happened: I was sitting down doing my thing when an african man in his mid 30’s sits down next to me. He has a laptop as well and is surfing around but after a few minutes he just gets up and heads to another part of the terminal, assumingly to get a better wifi signal as it was weak in that section. So he gets up and leaves but leaves his backpack behind. The first thing my mind thinks is ‘jesus, there could be a bomb in there. I became honestly nervous that this man had just gotten up and left his backpack sitting on the floor next to me. Of course I remindd myself of the media machine that has been playing in my head for years but I still couldn’t shake the nervous feeling I had. Of course the man came back, sat down and reclaimed his back but I had to take a step back and note my reaction to this otherwhise harlmaless situaiton. After a little while longer at the bus depot my bus finally arrived and I boarded it. I was the only person on board so I got the whole thing to myself for the first half of the journey. It was a 2-3 hour ride to Cambridge, through which i slept for the most part...

Lee23404 writes on the Autocar forum about "HGVs face motorway restrictions" on 3rd February 2010...

Straff:
All HGV's and PCV's (over 16 seats) are already banned from that lane.

Appart from National Express of course - I saw one of their coaches in the outside lane of the M25 recently.

2010-02-17T20:42:00.003Z

Daily Mail reports on 10th February 2010...

Coach driver subjected passengers to eight mile ride of terror, court told

A National Express coach driver subjected his screaming passengers to an eight mile ride of terror during a road rage incident on a busy motorway, a court was told today.

Brian Larred, 53, swerved between the three lanes of the M6, dramatically changed his speed and even steered onto the hard shoulder as he pursued an elderly driver towing a caravan who he claimed had given him an obscene gesture.

His 25 tearful passengers shouted and screamed for him to slow down but he simply ignored their pleas. They were so terrified that some dialled 999 for help, the court was told.

Video footage from coach's onboard camera showed Larred driving 'like a mad man' as his passengers - both young and old - screamed for him to stop.

Police eventually pulled the coach over and arrested him. His shaken passengers later told officers how children onboard were left crying and begging for the driver to stop.

One parent pleaded: 'There are kids on board, you can't drive like this.'

Yesterday, Larred was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

The court was told how he was travelling between Manchester Airport and Glasgow on June 24 last year when he suddenly snapped at the wheel of his National Express coach.

He became incensed after failing to overtake another driver pulling a caravan and claimed he had been shown the 'v-sign'.

When the other driver, Terrence Dolan, tried to overtake Larred, he simply increased his speed. When Mr Dolan then tried to get into the nearside lane, Larred simply overtook on the hard shoulder.

For eight long miles he refused to listen to his terrified passengers and continued to target Mr Dolan and his wife. The couple were so scared they too rang 999 during the incident.

Alan Lovett, prosecuting, told the court: 'Mr and Mrs Dolan and the passengers (on board the coach) were clearly frantic at the manner of Mr Larred's driving.

'Children on board were crying and saying they wanted to stop and get off. People were heard saying 'there are kids on board, you can't drive like that'.

'One passenger told police: 'Everyone was screaming and panicking. Children were crying'.

'Another passenger said: 'I was quite frightened. I thought the bus was going to tip over the side. The driver was putting the passengers at risk'.'

Larred, of Chadderton, Oldham, later joined the M74 motorway which is where Scottish police eventually pulled him over, the court heard.

But it wasn't the first time he had been before the courts accused of a road rage incident.

In August 1999 at Manchester Crown Court the married father-of-two was convicted of dangerous driving and common assault after an altercation with another driver whilst behind the wheel of a 16-ton articulated lorry.

He was also banned from driving for seven days in January last year after failing to identify the driver at the centre of a speeding offence, the court was told.

David Comb, mitigating, claimed Mr Dolan had goaded his client into driving erratically after preventing him from overtaking and then pointing offensive gestures in his direction.

'The descent in the quality of Mr Larred's driving was clearly brought on by the presence of the caravan,' he said.

'He reacted badly to the caravan preventing him from overtaking in the second lane. Mr Larred had himself been in contact with the police to report the driver of the caravan.'

But Judge Batty QC dismissed his argument and told Larred: 'It is absolutely appalling what we have seen on this DVD. It is indescribable how appalling the diving was.

'You had 25 passengers on board, some of who were elderly and some children. You attempted and succeeded in intimidating an elderly driver over a number of miles in the most dangerous manner.

'In my judgement I would be wholly failing in my duty if I didn't impose on you an immediate custodial sentence. You left people on the bus terrified enough to call you a madman.'

Larred, who has since lost his job, was also disqualified for three years and told that he would not be allowed to drive again until he had passed an extended driving test.

A National Express spokesman said: 'The driver stopped working for National Express in August 2009. Safe driving and considerate behaviour is expected from all drivers and we will internally investigate this incident further.'

The company could not comment on how he had been employed as a coach driver after being previously banned from driving and convicted of assault.

BBC News reports on 10th February 2010...

National Express driver jailed for acting like 'madman'

A National Express coach driver who terrified his passengers by driving like a "madman" on the M6 in Cumbria has been jailed for a year.

Brian Larred, 53, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, ignored pleas to drive more sensibly as he intimidated other motorists between Carlisle and Gretna.

Carlisle Crown Court heard children on the coach screamed as he played "cat and mouse" with a car towing a caravan.

He was jailed on Thursday after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Larred, of Raven Avenue, Chadderton, repeatedly sped up and slowed down in front of the elderly caravan owner and also undertook other motorists by driving on the hard shoulder on 24 June, the court heard.

'Totally unacceptable'

One furious and frightened passenger struck the driver after police stopped the Manchester to Aberdeen coach on the motorway, the court was told.

Judge Paul Batty Qc said Larred had driven coach like a "madman" and banned him from driving for three years.

A National Express spokeswoman said the driver stopped working for the firm in August.

She said: "Safe driving and considerate behaviour to other road users is expected from all drivers and the actions of this individual are clearly totally unacceptable.

"We will internally investigate this incident further now that the court case has ended and full details have been provided to us."

BBC News reports on 10th February 2010...

National Express fits 'alcolocks' to its coach fleet

A system measuring alcohol levels in coach drivers has been introduced by National Express.

The breathalyser-style device disables the vehicle if the driver is over the limit and the firm's Birmingham control room alerted.

The company spent two years trialling the system, which will be fitted to its fleet of more than 500 vehicles.

In 2008, a National Express driver who was over the limit was jailed after his coach crashed and overturned on the M1.

The driver, Leslie Weinberg, 35, was cut from the wreckage of the coach when it crashed at Newport Pagnell Services.

'Thorough investigation'

Weinberg pleaded guilty, at Aylesbury Crown Court, to driving dangerously and driving with excess alcohol.

National Express operations director Alex Perry said: "We had a very thorough investigation, we learned some lessons from it, it's a system we can roll out across the fleet and it would prevent such accidents in the future."

Alcolock was invented in Sweden, where it is commonplace in commercial and private vehicles and is compulsory on all public service vehicles in France.

The limit on National Express coaches is lower than the national drink-drive limit of 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath.

If a driver fails the test a signal is sent to the control room giving the registration number of the vehicle and how much alcohol has been registered.

Driver Simon Hetherington said: "I think it's been a positive step in moving forwards for passenger safety and it's been met with a good response by the drivers."

Coach Broker News reports on 6th February 2010...

National Express coach travelling to London has windscreen smashed by giant snowballs.

A pair of girls caused £3,500 worth of damage to a National Express coach and endangered the safety of all onboard when they dropped two giant snowballs off the top of a motorway overpass bride, smashing the windscreen of the oncoming coach.

The National Express coach was en route to its final destination of London, travelling east bound along the M4 just passed Burnham, when the incident occurred at the end of last month. 57 passengers were onboard at the time, more than half of which were Swiss school children. The driver of the coach said all of his passengers were “considerably upset” by the act of mindless vandalism which could have put their lives at risk.

The driver of the coach, David Ebbs, said the two large snowballs smashed through the windscreen, showering himself and the passengers seated near the front, with glass, snow and ice. The driver described how the backs of his knuckles were covered in cuts were the shards of glass had struck him. David Ebbs warned that the situation could have been more serious had one of the snowballs, which he described as being a like the base of a snowman, had hit him as he would have forced him to lose control of the vehicle.

Despite the frightening situation, coach driver Mr Ebbs continued onto his final destination of London. The bus was immediately taken out of service and needed repairs costing more than £3,500 to fix the damaged windscreen.

The police attended the area where the snowball had been thrown but the culprits had already fled the scene.

Gaz545 posts this video on You Tube on 18th January 2010...

Southern Daily Echo reports on 16th January 2010...

Coach driver accused of falling asleep while driving along the M27

THIS is the coach driver accused of falling asleep at the wheel of his vehicle on a Hampshire motorway.

Peter Huggett was charged with dangerous driving after his National Express coach, carrying 49 passengers, was involved in a terrifying accident on the M27 last summer.

The coach left the carriageway and ploughed through 100 metres of vegetation before Huggett regained control.

Court documents say: “He was on a scheduled journey between London and Poole when he is suspected to have fallen asleep at the wheel.

“The windscreen of the vehicle was damaged during the incident, sustaining numerous cracks across the glass.

“The 49 passengers were uninjured but were extremely shaken. The driver continued as far as Ringwood bus station, despite passengers telling him to stop.

“Police attended the bus station, where the driver was interviewed and reported. He claimed not to have fallen asleep at the wheel but to have lost control while trying to open his window because he was becoming hot and uncomfortable.”

Huggett was originally charged with driving without due care following the crash, which occurred between junctions two and one of the westbound M27 on August 28.

However, the allegation was changed to one of dangerous driving when he appeared at New Forest Magistrates’ Court in Lyndhurst yesterday.

Huggett pleaded not guilty and elected trial by jury at Southampton Crown Court.

The case was adjourned until March 12, when committal proceedings will take place.

Huggett, 54, of Green Road, Poole, was released on unconditional bail.

2010-01-14T21:23:00.002Z

Jenna Valentinex writes on 14th January 2010...

national express, hamish & too much toast

being stuck in the freezing cold in carlisle for three hours waiting on a replacement bus to london was totally worth it. even if the replacement bus broke down right behind us. all my toast was cut into triangles and all my tea had seven sugars in. only downfall: bananas.
happy jenna :)

Jane Laffan comments on the BBC Radio 4 PM programme blog on 6th January 2010...

We left London at 10pm last night to travel down to Bishopsteignton in Devon because we didn’t want to be stuck in the South East for days. When they say stay at home please heed their advice; I have never been so terrified on a car journey in my life.
As we travelled down the M4 the snow got heavier as we travelled west. By the time we reached Slough we were down to two lanes, by Newbury one lane. The snow was so heavy we couldn’t see the road markings or surface. We couldn’t see anything it was a white out. We couldn’t come off to swop drivers. Despite all this we were overtaken by two National Express coaches at speed. One tailgaited a Ford Ka in front of us. The spray from the coaches completed blinded us as it hit the windscreen. National Express need to retrain their drivers.
We arrived at home at 430 am and praised our safe arrival but I will never forget National Express - They could have killed someone last night.
Jane Laffan

Sarayen Day writes on 31st December 2009...

I went to the National Express office several times and they told me consistently I could only travel from Hereford on a Wednesday and Sunday. Looking back now, knowing that there appears to be a coach every day, I have no idea why!

chromosomechic writes on 21st December 2009...

Take the national express when your life is a mess

...So yesterday was going to be the salvation of the weekend - travel sorted to Edinburgh to see the Capitals beat the slimy little Newcastle Worms. Which, to be fair we duly did (altogether now, Cingel shoots, Cingel scores, Cingel all the way). But were we there? No. Because firstly, a certain coach company - rather than changing drivers mid-route, insists on having 40 minute breaks in a place to meet working time regulations. Cue irritation at bus just waiting there while the driver has his break.

So did they load people onto the bus during this hiatus? No. They waited until 15 minutes after this geriatric old twat of a driver had finished his break (and then had a cigarette and a cup of tea) to start loading. And then, with everyone on they then found a woman who couldnt speak English didnt have her baby properly strapped in. Of course, legally that is her fault but this neurotic female employee wouldnt accept this case - preferring to make a huge scene about it and calling for extra assistance. I dont know who I hated more, the companys staff or people living in a country who are incapable of speaking the language. Pious though it may seem, I feel that my own puny life is worth 20 of either.

So I stormed off the bus effing and blinding a little, though stopped short of my moms downright previous abuse/criminal charges and went home in a huff.

2009-12-19T16:08:00.002Z

Eknoreda writes about the worst of road travel in Nigeria but ends her post on 13th December 2009 with...

So now really, who am I to say I cant take the coach from London to NewCastle??
National Express here I come!!! what is a few annonying stops at service stations and annonying old white women trying to show you the pictures of all of their 13 grandchildren when ive endured far worse? and i did not break??

Life of a National Express Driver reports on 28th November 2009...

Bath Traffic.

Overnight last night and for the first time ever had to take a break at Heathrow. First problem was in Bath on the trip to the Uni, this put a 20min delay before we even started. Why can no one in NX see the problems this stop causes? Especially when up to 20 buses an hour come and go!! So with a 20 min delay off we went. All OK until J15 and then 'M4 Closed J10' came up. I had to go to reading at J12 to pick up 2 so was planning to go to J10 and then go down the M3. Approached J10 and the traffic was heavy but not the end of the world. Most traffic was going down towards the M3 so asked the Police man where the M4 was closed. he advised me to use the A4 and rejoin the M4 at J8/9. So that is what I did. We then arrived at Heathrow at 2130 which did not give enough time to get to VCS so 45 min break had to be taken. Most of the passengers got on the 501 or caught the tube so was empty into VCS. Finally arrived at 2311 which even with a 9 hour break meant I could not leave until 0830. Today was Ok until Bath. It took nearly an hour to get from the A46 into the Bus station. It is 2 miles!! Had the '5's' after my break and it took 45 mins to get from the Bus Station to Sainsbury's, 1mile. The cause of all this is the Christmas Market and our local councils complete inability to grasp the gravity of the situation. Maybe they think if it looks busy it will bring people in!!!

2009-11-20T19:42:00.002Z

Hospital Porters Against the New World Order posts on 3rd November 2009...

I Now KNOW Who The Illuminati Are!

Yes, I have finally solved the mystery once and for all. I have irrefutable proof of the identity of the Illuminati! People have been asking for years: “Is it the Bilderbergers?” “Is it the Skull-and-Bones?” “Is it the Masons?“ etc etc. Well it’s none of them. The Illuminati are National Express. It’s true! The Antichrist doesn’t sit in the capstone of a pyramid in a sub-basement of Area 51… He can be found in the driving seat of a white coach.

This revelation came to me from an experience I had last week. I was on a National Express coach on a long distance no-change journey from Oxford to Nottingham. I intensely dislike travelling by coach and I normally pay the extra £10 and get the train, but I wanted to use up some surplus return train tickets I had. Anyway just after leaving Oxford I got up to go to the little toilet cubicle at the back to relieve myself of the cup of coffee, spring water and orange juice I had in Cafe Nero before boarding, and to my horror the door to the coach bog was locked and there was an "OUT OF ORDER" sign on it. That's it! No apology no alternative recommendations; nothing! "What shall I do?" I asked myself. The journey was almost 5 hours with no toilet! I looked around myself. How would my fellow passengers cope? Could I follow their lead? What if I was the only one suffering? It made me realize that because I’d booked my ticket in advance, the Illuminati, knew which coach I’d be on and so purposefully sabotaged the toilet as part of their campaign against me.

My first thought was to ask the driver if I could quickly go to the toilet at the various places we stopped at, but I didn't trust him not to drive away and leave me behind. National Express have a notorious reputation for that kind of cock-up as well as being... generally crap in every other respect! So there was only one thing for it. I'd have to make alternative washroom arrangements... on the coach! Luckily every seat on the coach was supplied with a plastic bag for rubbish and I was relieved to see that it had no air-holes in it. The next problem was how to actually use the bag for the impromptu purpose for which I'd designated it. If I'd had a quiet corner seat at the back I could just have kneeled on the floor behind the seat in front, but I was in the centre of the cabin right next to a very prim-looking middle-aged woman. I stealthily draped my jumper over my lap and equally stealthy picked up the rubbish bag, trying not to make it rustle. Over the course of the next 10 minutes I moved it closer and closer to my waistline, pausing every time the woman turned a page on her paper. I eventually managed to slip the bag under the jumper covering and inside my trousers. The problem then was how to fit it over the end of my willy, in a way that I could piss into it cleanly, with just one hand. If I shoved both hands inside my trousers then my attempt at discretion would be blown. I realized that it would be much easier if I had a slight erection so I tried to think of lustful thoughts, but it didn't work. I was too nervous and self conscious. I let fly with a few "test drops" but they sponged straight into my trousers. So I had to abandon that plan.

Then I had another brainwave. I shoved half of the jumper itself inside my trousers. Once again I had to do this very slowly and carefully, keeping the other half of my jumper disguising what I was doing as it had before. Once I achieved this and manoeuvred the scrunched up jumper into the best position, I opened the floodgates. Warm wetness soaked into the jumper and I felt the pressure on my bladder blissfully easing. Mission accomplished! But then I had two further problems to contend with, and no way to go back! My jumper... overflowed slightly, into my trousers and the seat cushion! Also, how was I to get it out of my trousers discreetly? I waited until the woman had shifted in her seat and the young bloke in the seat behind me was asleep then I just whipped it out and bundled it into the rubbish bag. I tied it up and hoped that the smell wasn't too bad and that the wet patch on my trousers wasn't too prominent. The women beside me wrinkled her nose a bit, but then to my relief she glanced behind her at the sleeping man! The girl in the seat in front of me kept looking at me though! Unfortunately a bit later I could no longer pretend that the stench of urine was not wafting away from me in concentric circles. "God, let this journey be over soon!" I prayed. "Let there be no traffic jams!"

When I finally alighted from the coach in Nottingham I went to the bus station stop and bought a small toy model of a National Express coach. Then I made a pentacle on the ground with salt and burned it as an effigy. I hope that my virulent curse reaches every corner of the National Express organization. Hopefully even the company’s director will break out in boils.

2009-11-02T13:48:00.003Z

Ad Nauseum writes on 26th October 2009...

National Express – Window Seat

I guess this advert can be filed under either wild optimism or outright deceit.

Anyone – anyone! – who has ever taken a ride on a National Express coach knows that this is an utter-fabrication. The presented image is so far removed from the reality it could almost be a spoof. The seats aren’t comfy and the legroom certainly isn’t ample – it’s a rough, unpleasant and frequently disgusting journey that is only undertaken if you can’t afford the train.

“After all – you’ve got other things to worry about…” – too fucking right. There’s the person snoring at the back, the couple arguing over the aisle, the child kicking the seat, the loud iPod, the aggressive driver, the shit smell, the slow speed of the coach, the rough treatment of your luggage, the filthy floor, the stained seats, the needlessly extended 3am service station breaks, the highly dubious intercity routes and the constant wondering why they never do anything to improve it.

Come on guys. I know that advertising isn’t meant to be the honest truth but this is taking the piss. National Express is one of the worst fucking services in the country and you’re presenting it as some idyllic cross-country jaunt. I guess this campaign is aimed at those who haven’t used it before because no-one with experience would believe it for a second.

dearohdearclo writes on 23rd October 2009...

National Express rant.

...The Departure area was full of the usual types,tourists,OAP'S & men who wear disgusting trainers. I noticed that it didn't display Liverpool's departure gate & my face complete dropped, then it come up. Finally get's to the driver, he lets me on, the bus is full. GREAT. So i asked this girl who looked around my age,whether i could sit by her. She looked up at me like she wanted to spit in my face. To be fair like if anyone ever even tries to sit next to me on the coach home i give them daggers, or pretend i'm deaf. So i sit down & realise she smells of CHEESE, shit.... there was no empty seats left so i spent the whole journey sitting next to Wotsit girl, who by the way loves the Kaiser Chiefs,Ting tings & other really talented bands. HAHA argh. I'm being nasty i know,but honestly. WORST COACH JOURNEY EVER. It gets worse though, at milton keynes, sniffy mc sniffson gets on, rams one of those inhaler thingy's up his nose, snorts & then coughs the bus up.We stop at road chef or something as Original & the driver states that we've only got 15 minutes. I get off the bus & see that it's OAP central & it become obvious that it'd take me about 15 mins to get through all the rinses & comfortable shoes....it didn't i'm exaggerating. But still, i tried to get a sandwich but realised i need the loo more-The line was round the corner full of bus pass owners & i could have cried. Had the fasted fag i've ever had whilst being in a MOOD, get on the bus & then basically the journey went tits up because the driver decided to drive under the speed limit by miles. Stuck in traffic FOREVER in stoke on trent. bla bla bla.
My ma waited in the station for me, for like two hours. I felt like crying for her as she text to tell me there was a 'friggin pigeon' by her. Speaking of birds i was reading I-D before & Karl Lagerfeld is scared of them, just like me.Anyways I felt like punching the girl infront of me for speaking in an exaggerated liverpudlian accent, really loudly on the phone to her mum, her nan, her dad & her fella. She's only been in london two days so the fact that her family were ringing up All the time just so shows how fucked up she must be. Rantathon deary me, i'm getting really blunt. Pulls into the station fucking finally, see my ma & i want to cry. I then come home & make the best omelette i have ever made.
the end.

The Retail Bulletin reports on 21st October 2009...

Research suggests that 75% of customer feedback remains unread

Warwick Business School reveals that companies are unable to manage increasing volume and complexity of customer insight

Research by Warwick Business School reveals that companies receiving a minimum of 1,000 pieces of customer feedback per month are unable to analyse it in a meaningful way. The sheer volume and variety of customer feedback prohibits its full use to help provide better customer service and aid management decision making.

3,000 pieces of actual customer feedback in total from Asda, Audi and National Express were used in the study, which was the result of a £3000 academic award granted to Rapide Communication by the INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) scheme.

With large multinational companies encouraging feedback via multiple sources, such as text and voice messages, contact forms, letters and increasingly social media platforms, internal marketing teams are simply unable to analyse all customer feedback received, due to time constraints and fatigue encountered when reading and processing customer comments.

Chris Worth, an associate of Warwick Business School brought in as an independent researcher appointed by Warwick Business School's Dr Temi Abimbola, said:"Faced with a mass of data, human beings will make a rational choice: cut down the complexity to something manageable. When dealing with thousands of customer comments, that led to 75% of the data being tossed and the focus narrowing to a few key categories. That's dangerous, because the most profitable opportunities are often hidden in little gems of data hidden in dark corners.... which companies appear to be missing."

The research replicates the situation within the majority of UK customer facing companies where human analysts try to understand and analyse customers’ feedback. The research pitted three human analysts against Rant & Rave, a sophisticated text analysis technology, which has been developed by Rapide Communication in association with The University of Birmingham, to analyse customer feedback.

1,000 pieces represents the minimum average amount of feedback a national high street company can expect per month. When companies are running special promotions actively asking for feedback, the number can even reach 100,000 pieces of feedback per month. In a major company, the feedback would need to be analysed, and used as the basis of concrete recommendations to remedy any issues raised within the feedback. The analysis is then further collated to provide information which is critical to improving the overall customer experience from the company.

Each human analyst spent 30-50 hours (132 in total) looking at 750 pieces of feedback (250 from each company). They all did the same set of 750. i.e. a quarter of the total (3000 comments) and had to discard 75% of the data due to time constraints.Even handling 750 comments each was difficult to manage along with other work responsibilities which they were expected to handle to replicate a typical customer feedback analyst’s role.

The analysts needed to sort the feedback into 15 different categories and rank each piece of feedback according to the positive or negative sentiment expressed within it. The analysts were also asked to provide suggestions and risks related to the feedback. The humans, however, were unable to spot trends or provide meaningful recommendations or risks as the human brain simply cannot process such large data sets.

Rant & Rave, the customer feedback analysing software processed (categorised, ranked and made recommendations) the full 3,000 pieces of feedback in less than five minutes. The categories that the software selected were similar to those selected by the analysts. However, more significantly, the artificial intelligence engine understood and correctly interpreted the range of sentiment in the feedback, while the human analysts tended to use a narrower range in their interpretation of feedback. The analysts regularly used 3 – 4 categories to tag the feedback, demonstrating feedback fatigue and the creation of a comfort zone. Rant & Rave used a broader range of categories to classify the data.

Rant & Rave on the other hand took the unstructured text - in this case, 3, 000 customer comments - and reduced it to quantifiable form, "understanding" the linguistics of each comment, "scoring" the sentiment, and deriving relationships between ideas. Its output, in addition to its analysis, is a SWOT report that extracts sample comments identifying Suggestions and Risks.

Nigel Shanahan, MD of Rapide Communication: “Getting to the heart of what a customer wants is critical today as high street brands fight even harder to keep their customer base loyal. By asking for and then failing to analyse customer feedback, companies are unable to create a complete picture of their performance and their customers’ attitudes towards them. 1,000 pieces of feedback per month is a manageable number but human analysts are facing increasingly complex feedback which is not uniform, for instance a text message will use different language to a social media entry or a formal letter. As companies strive to gain more customer insight, they will increasingly be faced with a growing amount of unmanageable data. This is where Rant & Rant can analyse the data and leave the actual higher value activity of recommending how to change a business to the human analyst.”

Cassar writes on 20th October 2009...

day 0:
London Victoria to Canterbery by bus (National express bus service is THE CRAPPIEST EVER BTW – drivers are EXTREMELY RUDE and UNCOOPERATIVE)...

...day 9:
Went back home:
National express again, CRAP SERVICE!! Bus driver (total idiot) left early so I had to pay again for another ticket ….. (that will consist of yet another blog titled (Nation Express – National Crap) only to find a mess of shopping bags and clothes. My family had gone to a shopping spree in London!!

Bournemouth Daily Echo reports on 8th October 2009...

Coach driver photographed reading at the wheel

FRIGHTENING: A woman passenger from Poole snapped a series of pictures on her iPhone of a National Express bus driver reading while driving on a motorway between Bournemouth and London

A HORRIFIED passenger took a picture of a coach driver reading at the wheel while travelling on a busy motorway.

National Express has suspended the driver while it investigates the incident.

The Poole woman took photos on three occasions as the man read a logbook while driving.

The incident happened on board the number 35 4.10pm National Express service from Poole to London’s Victoria coach station on October 1.

The woman said the driver looked at the book on the A338 near Bournemouth, the M3 near Winchester, and on the busy streets of Knightsbridge in central London.

She said: “I couldn’t believe when I saw him do it the first time. He opened the book up and put it across his steering wheel, then he kept looking up and down at it as he drove along. Last lasted for a few minutes, maybe five.

“He did the same thing again on the M3 then again in Knightsbridge. At one point he was steering with just his arm while he held on to the book with his hand.

“I felt very unsafe during those moments because it was rush-hour and the road ahead of you can change very suddenly so you have to have full concentration.

“He is a coach driver and has got people’s lives in his hands.

A National Express spokesman said: “The driver has been suspended while we carry out a full investigation into this incident.

“Our priority is always the safety of our passengers and we would encourage anyone who sees an incident to report it to us immediately.”

The Willesden Herald reports on 8th October 2009...

National Express jobsworth makes pensioners leave food
I hope National Express are very happy that the driver of their coach from Newquay to Victoria, which departed at 3 p.m. on Sunday October 5th, forced three lady pensioners to leave seven Cornish pasties behind at the coach station in Newquay because of a rule about not allowing hot food on the coach. One lady lost £12 worth and with another two as well, about £15 worth of good food was wasted - or did somebody else get it?

2009-10-01T19:16:00.002+01:00

lost soul writes on 29th September 2009...

...I spent about 12 hours on a coach in the past 24hours. I left Belfast at about 5ish yesterday and got into Leciester at about 7ish this morning. It was a long journey, made worse by the fact that the bloke in the seat in front of me was pissed and flirting with the 17yo beside him. Fun times. Not...

Oxford Mail reports on 18th September 2009...

Barriers 'not safe enough', say dead OAP's family

THE family of a pensioner crushed by several buses after falling through roadwork barriers said safety measures around the site were not good enough.

Fred Carter, 74, of Vicarage Road, Oxford, was found dead in February at the junction of Speedwell Street and St Aldates in Oxford, where work was being carried out on the road.

Witnesses yesterday told an inquest at Oxford Coroners’ Court they saw two buses drive over Mr Carter’s head as he lay on the ground.

Between 30 and 40 vehicles passed father-of-three Mr Carter, but the hearing could not determine how many drove over him.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death and said there was no indication of a problem with the roadworks.

But after the hearing, Mr Carter’s son Andrew, 56, said he believed Oxfordshire County Council was at fault for not installing safe roadwork barriers.

He said: “The bus drivers knew they were cutting the corner and a ramp was even put by the kerb to make it easier for the drivers’ wheels to cut the corner.

“Because of the tightness of the corner extra precautions should have been put in place to make it safe for pedestrians.

“It took the death of my father to have the extra barriers put in. This is a health and safety issue.”

After Mr Carter’s death, the three-foot high plastic barriers were moved back and replaced with secured higher metal fences, his son told the inquest.

A statement by taxi driver Andrew Lacey, which was read to the inquest, described driving behind an Oxford Bus Company bus and seeing a “sack” lying half on the road and half on the pavement.

He added: “I remember thinking: ‘that’s not a sack it’s a body and the bus is going to run over the head’.

“There was nothing I could do and its back wheel went over where the head should be.”

Chef Paddy Gervers described finding Mr Carter on the ground then watching a National Express coach driving over his head.

He said: “I looked at his face and there was a large pool of blood coming from it. As the bus drove off a man said ‘he’s dead’.”

Pc Terry Anderson, a collision investigator, said studies showed three-quarters of buses which turned the corner had to mount the kerb because it was too tight.

Mr Carter had been drinking in the hours before his death at The Crown, in High Street, and pathologist Dr Fegan Earle said he was the equivalent of almost four times the legal limit to drive when he died.

None of the bus companies were asked to provide evidence, but an Oxford Bus Company representative attended the hearing.

Passing his verdict, Mr Gardiner added Mr Carter either had fallen through the barriers or tried to remove them.

A county council spokesman said: “This was a tragic accident.

“Neither the police or the coroner has given any indication that there was any problem with council roadworks as regards this accident.

“Had there been a problem, they would have been duty bound to highlight it.”

South Wales Echo reports on 12th September 2009...

Family call for bright colours at crash victim’s funeral

MOURNERS are being asked to wear bright colours to the funeral of a young mum who died in a crash at Gatwick Airport.

Melanie Wisden, 34, was killed when her black Ford Ka collided with a National Express coach on Friday, September 4, as she left the airport’s North Terminal.

The service for the “happy, bubbly, smiley person” who “would make anyone smile”, of Dunraven Street, Leckwith, Cardiff, is due to take place next Friday at the Church of the Resurrection, Ely, Cardiff, from 1.15pm, followed by a cremation at Thornhill Crematorium.

Heartbroken mum Valerie, 56, dad Jeff, 60, a driver at RAF St Athan, and sisters sister Maxine, 32, Melissa, 31, and Jessica, 17, and brother Mark, 37, have requested those attending wear Melanie’s favourite colours, which were red, yellow, white and black, to reflect her bright personality.

Melanie had taken a day off from her job at the city centre branch of Starbucks in Queen Street, Cardiff, to take her newlywed friend Samantha Macatangay to the airport from her Valleys home so she could begin her honeymoon in Tenerife.

2009-09-11T21:23:00.002+01:00

Jay Shukla writes on 10th September 2009...

We missed our coach by about 10 minutes which sucked, so we phoned National Express and the person on the phone told us we could hop on another coach from Reading town centre with no problems. So we got a minicab there and waited for the next coach to London, in the meantime we decided to ring up again to double check, and the other person on the phone said we couldn't do that and we'd have to pay an extra £20 each to get home! But me and Patrick turned on our manly charm and managed to convince a coach driver going to London to let us on :D seriously that guy was a legend, he saved us!

Julie - a passenger weighing 300 lbs writes on 8th September 2009...

O/T slightly, but is there such a thing as fatism?
This weekend i went to London with friends to a big girls night out (most excellent night with good company may i add).

Anyhow our hotel did not provide breakfast (last time it did) so before getting on our National Express coach to come home we all went and brought bacon sandwiches n cups of tea. I had about three sips of my tea it was quite hot and left it at Victoria and happily boarded the bus with my sandwich neatly tucked in my sarnie bag. When i sat down i started to tuck in when the driver doing a head count asked me (in a not quiet voice) what i was eating. So i told him a bacon sandwich to which he replied you can't eat hot food on the coach, you have 5 seconds to get off the coach and eat it or it gets binned. I explained to the driver that my sandwich was not in fact hot (it had been made nearly 30 minutes earlier) and that i was diabetic and had not eaten. At which point he gave me the company policy lecture so i gave him the sandwich in the bag and told him to shove it (in the bin). Now see i could understand if a) it was hot soup i was carrying on board that could slip out of my hand and scald someone. But my complaint is this.... My partner was sat next to me with his cup of tea and sandwich bag in his hand, my friend sat in front chewing on a mouthful of sandwich and another friend had a sandwich bag on the seat next to her. Funnily enough he didn't ask them about their food or beverages but he asked the fattest person on the bus if she wanted to squeeze n waddle down the aisle then stand outside shovelling a sandwich down her neck while everyone waited and watched.... wonder why???

Am looking forward to hearing what the coach company have to say! Oh yes and he spent less time telling us to put our seat belts on than ridding me of my much needed breakfast...

Wales Online reports on 8th September 2009...

Friends in Facebook tribute to tragic Mel

A FACEBOOK group dedicated to the young mum who died in a crash at Gatwick has gained more than 700 members in just 24 hours.

The site called Melanie Wisdens (Memorable) Group has been set up by a close friend of 34-year-old Melanie, who was killed in a collision with a National Express coach on Friday. Her body will be brought back to Cardiff today.

The friend, who did not wish to be named, said: “I only set up the group at 2.30pm on Sunday and it’s just typical Mel to have all these people paying tribute.

“She would do anything for anyone and the whole time I knew her I never saw her upset. It’s devastating; it just doesn’t seem real.”

Popular Melanie had friends from all walks of life, and the group was created for them to share their stories about her.

Vicky Williams wrote on the message board: “There is so much I could say about Mel, I really don’t know where to start. I met Mel in 1992, and we clicked straight away. She was in Cocos with Laura doing the ‘heel step heel’ dance to Apparently Nothin.

“We had so much fun – 18th birthday parties, 21st birthday parties, 30th birthday parties! Carnivals, nights out in Bristol (we thought that was so adventurous!), even just a coffee in the Capitol centre, we always have things to say, and we would always be laughing. Mel had this unique ability to bring out the best side of anyone she met. Even if we were being told off for something.”

Terry Cooper said: “Vivacious was a word that could’ve been invented for Mel. What a fun lady and a happy soul.”

And Martine Hopkins wrote: “Very shocked and saddened for Melanie’s family. I didn’t know her personally, but remember her from the days of Lloyds and Liberties where I thought of her as the Cardiff Dancehall queen because of her clothes, figure and dance moves, and would often pass her through Grange as she rode her bike. Condolences to the family through this difficult time. RIP Melanie.”

Sussex Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.

No date has yet been set for a funeral.

never argue with an idiot writes on 7th September 2009...

National Express Coach Driver Announcement

The bus moves off from Victoria Coach Station in London and the driver in a very lazy dire voice:

“Ping pong! This bus is to Liverpool and Manchester.” Pause…Passengers are puzzled and getting uncomfortable in their seats.

“I am only joking this bus is to Leeds. Now I have your attention, can I please quickly tell you about safety rules? Wear you seatbelt, it is for your own safety. There are emergency exits in the front and at the back, also two on the roof.” Chuckle…

“Please be considered to fellow passengers and make your phone calls short and sweet. We don’t want to know about your love life! Same goes for laptops, music players. Keep the volume down for others’ comfort. There is a toilet at the back, do use it seated! In case of emergency braking you wouldn’t want to walk down the aisle with your pants down. I hope you will enjoy your journey with National Express, if not you can always use Megabus.”

Chuckle… “Thank you.”

Wales Online reports on 7th September 2009...

Mum ‘laughing and joking’ minutes before crash

A WELSH mum who died in a crash on her way home from Gatwick Airport was “laughing and joking” minutes before she died, her best friend said yesterday.

Melanie Wisden’s best friend spoke to the Western Mail from Tenerife where she had flown after the 34-year-old mum of one dropped her off at Gatwick Airport.

As she drove away from the Sussex airport on Friday afternoon, her Ford Ka was in collision with a National Express coach. The coach came to rest on top of Mrs Wisden’s car.

After the accident, traffic around the airport came to a standstill, with tailbacks stretching to the M25, more than seven miles away.

Travellers were seen leaving their vehicles and running towards the airport with suitcases.

Highways staff worked until 8pm to clear the roads, which were reported to be littered with abandoned vehicles.

Melanie’s family said yesterday that the Cardiff mum had only passed her test 10 months ago and had never before driven further afield than Bristol. Best friend Samantha Macatangay, of Porth, Rhondda, did not hear about the accident until after she arrived in Tenerife.

Speaking from her hotel, the mother of four said: “We had a wonderful journey up to Gatwick, we had a good laugh reminiscing; she was my best friend.

“Mel was speaking about us going on a girly holiday next year.

“It was a very close, good friendship. I have siblings but there isn’t much communication between us. Mel was more like a sister to me.

The pair met some 15 years ago while out clubbing in Cardiff, and have been close ever since, meeting up for lunch and looking after each other’s children.

Melanie’s daughter Mia, 11, was a bridesmaid at Samantha’s wedding just a couple of weeks ago.

“You can’t describe how it feels to lose someone. I feel hollow and empty at losing someone so close.”

Mrs Macatangay is trying to book flights home, but said all she has done on her honeymoon is cry.

“My husband Dean has been very supportive, he knows how close my children and I were to Mel. He is devastated for me,” she said.

“My children grew up with Mel, they are all devastated.

“I just want everyone to know how much I loved and adored her.”

Mrs Wisden, of Ely, Cardiff, had taken a day off from her job at Starbucks in Queen Street to drive her friend to the airport.

Her family, who did not know about the trip, said they initially thought the police phone call telling them about the accident was a prank call.

Mother Valerie, 56, who works at the Regency House Care Home in Ely, said: “All that went through our minds was: it’s not going to be Melanie.

“We thought Mel’s car must have been stolen because there’s no way she should’ve gone up there on her own.

“She only passed her test 10 months ago and she didn’t like motorways.

“Mel’s a big fitness fanatic, and I was telling everyone that she was going to walk through the door after being to the gym and ask why we’re all sitting around crying and worrying.”

Melanie’s sister Maxine added that Melanie had never driven further than Bristol before.

Dad Jeff, 60, a driver at RAF St Athan, her other sisters Melissa, 31, and Jessica, 17, and brother Mark, 37, are also coming to terms with losing their loved one.

Just days earlier, on Monday, Melanie had returned from her first ever holiday to Turkey.

There, she stayed in a private villa near Fethiye with her daughter Mia and neighbours from her home in Dunraven Street, next to Cardiff City FC’s former ground at Ninian Park.

A funeral date has yet to be set, but the family plan to hold a service at the Church of the Resurrection in Ely and are expecting hundreds to attend.

Wales Online reports on 7th September 2009...

Bus crash victim Melanie Wisden’s family describe their heartbreak

THE heartbroken family of bus crash mum Melanie Wisden said they initially thought the call from police telling them about the tragedy was a prank call.

None of 34-year-old mum Melanie’s immediate family knew she had driven to Gatwick to drop off her newly-wed friend Samantha Macatangay for her honeymoon flight to Tenerife.

Soon after pulling out of the North Terminal at 1.30pm on Friday, a National Express coach struck the side of Melanie’s black Ka before coming to rest on top of it. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her heartbroken sister Maxine, 32, of Ely, Cardiff, said the telephone call from police telling them about the tragedy had sent the family into shock.

“The first thing I thought was it’s not her,” she said. “I went into shock and I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a prank call.”

Melanie and Maxine’s mum Valerie, 56, said Melanie had only passed her driving test 10 months ago.

“All that went through our minds was: ‘It’s not going to be Melanie.’”

Valerie, who works at the Regency House Care Home in Ely, said they hoped her car had been stolen.

“We thought Mel’s car must have been stolen because there’s no way she should’ve gone up there on her own.

“She only passed her test 10 months ago and she didn’t like motorways.

“Mel’s a big fitness fanatic and I was telling everyone that she was going to walk through the door after being to the gym and ask why we’re all sitting around crying and worrying.”

She added that Melanie had never driven further than Bristol before.

Melanie’s dad Jeff, 60, a driver at RAF St Athan, her other sisters Melissa, 31, and Jessica, 17, and brother Mark, 37, are also coming to terms with losing their loved one.

Just days earlier, on Monday, Melanie had returned from her first-ever holiday to Turkey.

She had stayed in a private villa near Fethiye with her daughter Mia and neighbours from her home in Dunraven Street, next to Cardiff City FC’s former ground at Ninian Park.

On Friday, Melanie had taken a day off from her job at Starbucks in Queen Street to take Samantha to the airport from her Valleys home.

The two were close pals. Melanie would often look after Samantha’s children and Samantha had given Melanie the money to buy her car.

At Samantha’s wedding just two weeks ago, Melanie was proud when her daughter Mia, 11, was one of the bridesmaids.

After the accident, traffic around the airport came to a standstill, with tailbacks stretching to the M25, more than seven miles away. Travellers were even seen leaving their vehicles and running towards the airport with suitcases.

Highways staff worked until 8pm to clear the roads, which were reported to be littered with abandoned vehicles.

Mia is now living with her father Mark Dacosta, Melanie’s former partner of seven years, at his home in Llanedeyrn.

Valerie said: “What happens now is totally up to Mia. I hope she’ll come and see us every couple of weekends at least.

“This has broken her heart. They were such a lovely mother-and-daughter couple.”

Valerie added: “It’s such a waste of a life – it’s just all gone.”

In addition to her job at Starbucks, Melanie also worked at the Frankie and Benny’s restaurant in Cardiff Bay. She eventually became a shift manager at the coffee shop, where she worked alongside sister Maxine.

A funeral date has yet to be set but the family plan to hold a service at the Church of the Resurrection in Ely and are expecting hundreds to attend.

It is the second tragedy to hit Valerie’s family. When Melanie was just six months old in 1975, her sister Melinda died, aged 21 months, when she developed peritonitis after an accident in a high chair.

Mel’s best friend recalls their journey

TRAGIC Melanie’s best friend said her last memory of her would be laughing and joking together as they drove to Gatwick Airport.

Tearful Samantha Macatangay spoke to the Echo from her hotel in Tenerife, to where she flew on honeymoon after Melanie dropped her off, moments before her death.

“I can’t accept that she’s gone. We had a wonderful journey up to Gatwick; we had a good laugh reminiscing. She was my best friend,” said the mum of four.

“Mel was speaking about us going on a girly holiday next year.”

The pair met some 15 years ago while out clubbing in Cardiff, and have been close ever since, meeting up for lunch and looking after each other’s children.

Melanie’s daughter Mia, 11, was a bridesmaid at Samantha’s wedding just a couple of weeks ago.

“It was a very close friendship. I have siblings but there isn’t much communication between us. Mel was more like a sister to me. You can’t describe how it feels to lose someone so close. I feel hollow and empty.”

Mrs Macatangay, who lives in Porth, is trying to book flights home, but said all she has done on her honeymoon is cry.

“My husband Dean has been very supportive; he knows how close my children and I were to Mel. He is devastated for me,” she said. “I just want everyone to know how much I loved and adored her.”

Redhill and Reigate Life reports on 7th September 2009...

Woman dies in airport coach collision

A woman died instantly when her car was crushed by a coach in a collision at Gatwick Airport.

Melanie Wisden, 34, from Cardiff, was driving a Ford Ka when the accident happened outside the airport's North Terminal last Friday, just after 1.30pm.

The National Express coach ended up on top of the Ford at the North Terminal roundabout in Airport Way.

Emergency teams and the Sussex Air Ambulance went to the scene.

The coach driver suffered shock and was taken to hospital along with a passenger who sustained a wrist injury.

The coach was carrying about 40 passengers, who were bussed from the scene to the airport where officers took accounts from them, before they were allowed to continue their journeys.

The accident caused severe tailbacks stretching beyond the M25 and people reported seeing some flight-bound passengers walking with suitcases along the M23 and A23 to the terminal.

Inspector Keith Ellis from Sussex Police's road policing unit said: “We appreciate the frustration of road travellers caught up with this incident but the circumstances are very unusual in that the collision happened on a very busy roundabout, and also, that it involved a coach that ended up on top of the car.

“However, we must not lose sight of the fact that, sadly, a woman died, and it is essential that her death is fully investigated to meet the needs of the coroner and any subsequent court case that may arise.”

He said: “The investigative work cannot begin until the needs of those involved in the collision are attended to, and in this case, the recovery work that followed the investigation was particularly complex.

“Repairs were also needed to the road and crash barrier.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to call them on 0845 6070 999, quoting Operation Tilstone.

Rye and Battle Observer reports on 7th September 2009...

Inquiries continue into fatal car accident

POLICE are today (Monday) continuing to investigate the road accident at Gatwick on Friday when a 34-year-old woman was killed after her car was crushed under a National Express Coach.
The tragic accident caused long delays in the area including on the M23 and A23 as police interviewed the coach's 40 passengers about how the accident happened before allowing them to continue their journeys and flights from the airport.

The collision occurred on the North Terminal roundabout on Airport Way just after 1.30pm on Friday (September 4) leaving the coach on top of the woman's Ford Ka.

She was declared dead at the scene. She is believed to have come from South Wales. The coach's driver was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

Police apologised for the lengthy delays for motorists.

Inspector Keith Ellis from Sussex Police's Road Policing Unit added: "We must not lose sight of the fact that, sadly, a woman died and it is essential that her death is fully investigated to meet the needs of the coroner and any subsequent court case that may arise."

He said recovery of the vehicles was particularly complex and repairs also had to be made to the road and crash barrier.

Any witnesses should call police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting Operation Tilstone.

Wales Online reports on 6th September 2009...

Coach crash victim's family remember beautiful mum

YOUNG mum Melanie Wisden had just waved her newlywed friend off on honeymoon and was looking forward to spending the weekend with her 11-year-old daughter.

But as she drove away from Gatwick Airport and headed back to Cardiff, tragedy struck.

As she left the airport’s North Terminal at 1.30pm on Friday, a National Express coach collided with the side of her tiny black Ford Ka before coming to rest on top of it.

Melanie, 34, mum to 11-year-old Mia, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Traffic around the airport came to a standstill, with tailbacks stretching to the M25, more than seven miles away.

Travellers were even seen leaving their vehicles and running towards the airport with suitcases.

Highways staff worked until 8pm to clear the roads, which were reported to be littered with abandoned vehicles.

At home in Ely, Cardiff, her stunned family could not believe the news when police called to tell them hard-working mum Melanie was dead.

Her heartbroken sister Maxine, 32, told Wales On Sunday she originally though the phone call was a sick joke.

“The first thing I thought was it’s not her,” she said. “I went into shock and I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a prank call.”

Melanie and Maxine’s mum Valerie, 56, added: “All that went through our minds was: it’s not going to be Melanie.”

Melanie’s dad Jeff, 60, a driver at RAF St Athan, her other sisters Melissa, 31, and Jessica, 17, and brother Mark, 37, are also coming to terms with losing their loved one.

Melanie had taken a day off from her job at the city centre branch of Starbucks in Queen Street to take her newlywed friend Samantha Macatangay to the airport from her Valleys home so she could begin her honeymoon in Tenerife.

The two were close pals – Melanie would often look after Samantha’s children and Samantha had given Melanie the money to buy her car.

At Samantha’s wedding just two weeks ago, Melanie was so proud when her daughter Mia was one of the bridesmaids.

Melanie’s family said Samantha was “heartbroken” when they told her the news and was planning to return to the UK on the next available flight.

Just days earlier, on Monday, Melanie had returned from her first ever holiday to Turkey.

There, she stayed in a private villa near Fethiye with her daughter Mia and neighbours from her home in Dunraven Street, next to Cardiff City FC’s former ground at Ninian Park.

Valerie said her daughter had caught the travel bug on her very first trip abroad.

Maxine added: “I’d been bugging her for years to get a passport and go on holiday.

“We’d already planned a trip to Ayia Napa for next year. It was going to be party time!”

The two would regularly hit the town together – often heading to the Club 3000 bingo hall – and Maxine said friends would sometimes mistake one of them for the other.

“A lot of people got the names confused,” she said. “Some didn’t know which was which.

Valerie added: “Melanie was so attractive and stunning when she was all made-up to go out. She could have been a model, she had so much confidence in herself.”

“It’s such a waste of a life – it’s just all gone”

Daughter Mia is now living with her father, Mark Dacosta, Melanie’s former partner of seven years, at his home in Llanedeyrn.

Valerie said: “What happens now is totally up to Mia. I hope she’ll come and see us every couple of weekends at least.

“This has broken her heart. They were such a lovely mother and daughter couple.”

Valerie added: “It’s such a waste of a life – it’s just all gone.” Paying an emotional tribute to her daughter, she said: “We’re going to miss her so much. She will always be in our hearts for ever and ever.”

Maxine said of her sister: “She was a happy, bubbly, smiley person and she would make anyone smile.”

In addition to her job at Starbucks, Melanie also worked at the Frankie and Benny’s restaurant in Cardiff Bay and had worked at various branches of Pizza Hut in the city for around 10 years.

She eventually became a shift manager at the city’s Queen Street branch, where she worked alongside Maxine.

Sammy Dicken, who worked with the sisters around 10 years ago, said: “She always made us laugh no matter what the situation.

“Her personality was infectious and working with her was always a pleasure, especially when Maxine was working alongside.”

Melanie was also a familiar face to drivers from Cardiff Bus, whose main Sloper Road depot is just yards from her home.

“She was well-known to them,” said Valerie. “They would honk at her when they saw her riding her bike.”

Further tributes have poured in via Maxine’s page on social networking website Facebook.

More than 100 messages have been left by friends and acquaintances from as far away as America.

Maxine said: “I was having so many phone calls that I just thought: I need to get on Facebook, confirm it’s happened and let everyone know.”

A funeral date has yet to be set, but the family plan to hold a service at the Church of the Resurrection in Ely and are expecting hundreds to attend.

It is the second tragedy to hit Valerie’s family. When Melanie was just six months old, in 1975, her sister Melinda died, aged 21 months, when she developed peritonitis after an accident in a high chair.

BBC News reports on 6th September 2009...

Gatwick crash woman's lift favour

A woman who died when her car was in a collision with a coach at Gatwick airport had just dropped her friend off for a flight, it has been revealed.

Melanie Wisden, 34, from Cardiff, was killed instantly when her Ford Ka was crushed by a National Express coach just after 1330 BST on Friday.

Ms Wisden, who worked at a cafe, had an 11-year-old daughter, Mia.

Her mother Valerie told the Wales on Sunday newspaper: "It's such a waste of life - it's all just gone."

She added: "We're going to miss her so much. She will always be in our hearts for ever and ever."

She had taken the day off work from her job at Starbucks to carry out the trip to the second busiest airport in the country.

More than 100 people have left tribute messages on a Facebook page set up in memory of Ms Wisden by her sister Maxine.

The collision on Airport Way caused severe delays as access to the North Terminal was not possible from junction 9 of the M23 while collision investigators worked at the scene.

The coach driver was taken to hospital suffering from shock while a passenger had a wrist injury.

All roads were reopened by 2000 BST by which time there were several abandoned cars in the roads approaching the airport.

BBC Sussex radio reported people getting out of their vehicles and running towards the airport with their suitcases.

Passengers using the airport were advised to allow extra time for their journeys.

Wales Online reports on 5th September 2009...

Woman killed in Gatwick coach crash named

A SOUTH Wales woman killed when her car collided with a coach at Gatwick Airport has been named.

Melanie Wisden, 34, was killed instantly following the smash on the North Terminal roundabout at 1.30pm yesterday.

The National Express coach ended up on top of her Ford Ka.

It is understood Ms Wisden, of Dunraven Street, Cardiff, had dropped off a friend at the airport and was returning to South Wales when the crash happened.

Roads for miles around were seized up, with local radio reporting people getting out of their vehicles and running towards the airport with suitcases.

Friends and family have left more than 100 tributes to Ms Wisden on her sister Maxine’s Facebook page.

Sammy Dicken, who worked with Melanie at Pizza Hut 10 years ago, said: "Her smile and happiness on life will never be forgotten. If there’s one thing she taught us was live your life to the full and enjoy it."

BBC News reports on 4th September 2009...

Crash leads to Gatwick congestion

A woman motorist has died in a collision involving a coach and a car at Gatwick Airport in West Sussex.

Emergency teams including the Sussex Air Ambulance were called to the North Terminal shortly after 1330 BST.

Police said the victim was a 34-year-old woman from South Wales. The coach driver was taken to hospital with shock while a passenger had a wrist injury.

Witnesses told of seeing people delayed by road closures walking with suitcases along the M23 and A23 to the terminal.

Severe tailbacks

Sussex Police said the woman's Ford Ka collided with the National Express coach which ended up on top of her vehicle at the North Terminal roundabout.

Passengers using the airport, which is the second busiest in the country, were advised to allow extra time for their journeys.

A Highways Agency spokesman said all roads including Airport Way were reopened by 2000 BST.

But he said it would be some time before the congestion was cleared with severe tailbacks still stretching as far back as the M25 and beyond.

He also said there were several abandoned cars in the roads approaching the airport.

Transit system

Following the accident, Sussex Police had said access to the North Terminal was not possible from junction nine of the M23.

There was also the warning of delays on roads around the airport, with the closure of a slip road on the A23.

People who needed to get to the North Terminal from the M23 were advised to go to the South Terminal and use the passenger transit system, an airport spokeswoman said.

She said Gatwick Airport's website and Twitter account were carrying regular updates on the situation.

Extra airport staff were also drafted in to help passengers who may have missed flights or were running late because of the traffic congestion.

Crawley News reports on 4th September 2009...

UPDATED: Woman dies after car is in collision with coach near Gatwick

A WOMAN has died after her car was involved in a collision with a National Express coach near Gatwick Airport.

The 34-year-old woman, from south Wales, was pronounced dead at the scene after her Ford Ka was in collision with the coach outside the airport's North Terminal at around 1.30pm on Friday.

Around 40 passengers were on the coach, which ended up on top of the car. One passenger suffered a minor wrist injury.

The driver of the coach was taken to hospital suffering from shock. All the passengers were bussed to the airport where they gave their version of events to police.

The dead woman's next of kin have been informed, but she has not yet been named by police.

The crash caused traffic chaos and delays for several hours on surrounding roads including the M23 and A23, with people struggling to make their way to the airport.

Inspector Keith Ellis, from Sussex Police's Road Policing Unit, said: "We appreciate the frustration of road travellers caught up with this incident, but the circumstances are very unusual in that the collision happened on a very busy roundabout and also that it involved a coach that ended up on top of the car.

"However, we must not lose sight of the fact that, sadly, a woman died and it is essential that her death is fully investigated to meet the needs of the coroner and any subsequent court case that may arise.

"We do work as swiftly as possible and our investigating officers are very experienced in their role, but once the scene is cleared we don't get a chance to revisit it.

"The investigative work cannot begin until the needs of those involved in the collision are attended to and in this case, the recovery work that followed the investigation was particularly complex.

"Repairs were also needed to the road and crash barrier."

The Highways Agency confirmed that all roads around the airport were re-opened by 8pm on Friday.

Extra airport staff were drafted in to help passengers who may have missed flights or were running late because of traffic congestion.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to contact them on 0845 60 70 999, quoting Operation Tilstone.

Weston and Somerset Mercury reports on 3rd September 2009...

Passengers flee flaming bus

PANICKED passengers pleaded to be allowed off a smoking bus moments before it burst into flames, a Weston survivor has told the Mercury.

Filmmaker Rhys Hayward was on his way to London from Bristol when smoke prompted screams from the back of the National Express vehicle he was travelling in.

Luckily the driver responded to his passengers' pleas and everyone was able to disembark before the bus caught alight at the side of the M4 motorway.

Now an investigation into the cause of the fire has begun amid Mr Hayward's claims that the bus driver failed to implement the company's 'strict safety procedures'.

The 38-year-old, of Clevedon Road, said: "About 25 minutes into the journey there was shouting from the back of the bus about smoke coming from the engine.

"A group of Somali women and their children were screaming and smoke began to filter down the bus prompting passengers to ask the driver to stop.

"In my opinion it took a long time for the driver to pull up and people were just relieved that he opened the door to be let off."

Mr Hayward was on his way to a film meeting in the capital he had arranged two days before his trip on Wednesday last week.

He caught the 040 from Bristol Bus Station to London Victoria at 9.45am, before the mayhem ensued.

Pictures taken by Mr Hayward on the M4 hard shoulder show the severity of the situation the passengers found themselves in.

He added: "Fire could be seen shortly afterwards, and the extent of the danger began to sink in.

"The driver failed to issue any safety instructions to those on board, and neither he nor the National Express drivers who stopped on the hard shoulder did a head count of the passengers involved."

Two passing National Express coaches took all 48 passengers to the service station close by. Those people without luggage travelled immediately onwards to London. Others who had belongings waited for the fire brigade to release their luggage and then travelled on a replacement coach to London.

A National Express spokesperson said: "All customers were safely directed off the coach by the driver before travelling to their onward destination by replacement services.

"They were met by customer service staff at London Victoria.

"In being prepared for this type of emergency situation we follow strict procedures, with the priority of moving people off the motorway."

The spokesman added that compensation would be discussed with passengers on an individual basis.

Bristol Evening Post reports on 27th August 2009...

Anger over 'jammed door' as Bristol coach catches fire

A passenger fears someone could have been seriously hurt after he tried – and failed – to open an emergency exit when the coach he was travelling on caught fire in Bristol.

Colin Walkington was on yesterday's 9.25am 040 Bristol to London National Express coach, on his way to watch Arsenal take on Celtic at the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League.

But at about 10.30am, as the coach containing 48 passengers travelled along the M4 between junctions 18 and 17, he sensed all was not well.

"I was sat one row from the back and I started to smell some fumes," said the 43-year-old, of The Clifford, Lawrence Weston. "At first I thought it was just coming from a lorry or something.

"I opened the toilet door and thick black smoke started coming out so I shouted to the bus driver to pull over."

The support worker added: "There was a mother and her two kids sitting nearby and people started to scream.

"I tried to open the emergency exit near the toilet to let the smoke out but I couldn't.

"I booted it twice but it still wouldn't open. It was jammed shut."

Everyone got off the 49-seater safely through the front door, but shortly afterwards it went up in flames and smoke continued to billow into the air as the vehicle stood on the hard shoulder.

Mr Walkington added: "Thank God the fire was not at the front or we could have been trapped on the coach."

The Arsenal fan complained that when the coach was evacuated and passengers got on to two passing National Express coaches, there was no head done to see if everyone had got off safely.

He is also unhappy with what he saw as a lack of communication when, at nearby Leigh Delamere services, he says passengers were told another coach would come to pick them up later, but no time was given.

Mr Walkington decided to call off his trip and got his friend Reg Perkins to pick him up and take him home, where he watched the football match on TV last night.

He said he was going to contact National Express to ask for compensation for the £52 match ticket and £8 coach fare.

A spokeswoman for National Express said an engineer tried the rear fire exit after the fire had been put out and had no problem opening it.

She said: "All customers were safely directed off the coach by the driver before all, but Mr Walkington, travelled to their onward destination by replacement services.

"Customers were met by National Express customer service staff at London Victoria.

"In being prepared for this type of emergency situation we follow strict procedures, with the priority of moving people off the motorway. We have started an investigation into the cause of the fire."

...This story attracted 47 reader comments and here they are...

#
This must have been a frightening experience for anyone on the coach! I cetainly don't understand the personal abuse directed at the passengers?! What's that all about?
I imagine that the emergency door wouldn't open as the gentleman involved was in a state of panic, and from what I've read it's probably just as well that he couldn''t as it sounds as if it wouldn't have been safe anyway!
The headline should be one more along the lines of 'All passengers get off coach safely after fire scare!'
Mr Walkington should be grateful no one was injured, not moaning about getting his match ticket money back, it was his choice not to continue his journey, everyone else seems to have managed to!
AL, Bristol
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commented on 28-Aug-2009 10:13
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For anyone wanting to see this footage, search for VIDEO 002 on youtube
rob, Bristol
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commented on 28-Aug-2009 08:24
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Steve, that was said tongue in cheek and was not meant to cause offence to yourself. Apologies if it came across as such :)
rob, Bristol
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commented on 28-Aug-2009 07:59
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Reading your comments on this story I am trying to remain calm - but its hard to do that so...
I was on the coach and for all you people - this was a shocker but whilst everyone was inhailing smoke at the back of the coach the driver was at the front of the coach on the phone to the fire service - mmmm safety first - get everyone off - someone else done that so thank god there was some one at the front that knew how to handle the situation and took control because the driver didn't, and anyone that calls us a bunch of idiots (I mean there really is no need for that) when his mates turn up in other coaches is going to get a mouthful from me (mr driver) - oh and by the way drivers -can you count as well?
The fire was not the drivers fault and maybe the emergency door wasnt opened properly which was probably a blessing as we could have ended up under a car or lorr or worse a National Express Coach! the driver was in pure shock and it showed, no emergancy procedure was followed and it was a very poor standard of service.
Oh yeah and for anyone that doesnt know what they are talking about its on you tube.
Jacquie, yate
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commented on 28-Aug-2009 00:00
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You can whistle for your £52 compensation mate, onward travel was available
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 23:15
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Dont call me stupid Rob!!!!!
Steve, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 22:55
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Steve, dont be stupid, if the facts were reported, there would be no news and that would not be good (for BEP)
rob, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 22:45
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Dont be daft Driver, the truth might come out that we actually work hard for a living, despite what the general public and BEP would be led to believe.
Right, i have had enough of defending the company that i enjoy working for, im off out to change my float from the £25 in loose change to a £20 and a fiver so i can dish out change tickets tomorrow (oh no, hang on, i cant do that lol)
rob, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 22:42
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OK Walkington, youve had your 5 minutes of fame, now lets have the facts!
With regard to the "alleged" non operation of the rear emergency exit, the police and fire services who attended this incident, both checked the door and found it to be fully operational. It is a good job that you did not manage to kick it open or the police would had the job of knocking on peoples doors to tell them that a family member or members had been fatally injured by jumping from a coach into lane 1 of a busy motorway!!!! After the vehicle was recovered, the door was checked again by, the fitters, the engineering director and officials from VOSA. It was found to be functioning correctly. Why papers are allowed to publish unverified "facts" is a mystery to me. I suppose an apology from the BEP and Mr Walkington would be too much to ask for!! Lets be thankful that there were no serious injuries, and all except one person were able to complete their journeys in safety. That one person went home to watch the football!!!!!!
Steve, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 22:39
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Dear boss of bep

why not speak to the press relations department at enterprise house and get one of your reporters to work a shift shadowing a driver to see what happens throughout a shift and then do a article about it
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 22:22
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Driver, i think its down to the general conception that all we do is drive around all day, running late or not at all, carry next to no passengers and have some kind of control over the traffic which means we are the devil's incarnate.
To all those that catch a bus/coach maybe twice a day, how about you spend an entire day with a driver and see just exactly what we deal with in a day because im pretty sure all you see is maybe an hour or so when you are sat in the bus.
I know this will cause a million and one comments about First drivers being arrogant, ignorant, rude etc etc but if you can sit behind the wheel of a 40ft vehicle for upwards of 11 hours a day, dealing with the traffic in an antiquated road system, people that have no idea that we can't fly over traffic, have had 20 £20 note and don't actually have the time to get change because even though you were stood outside a newsagent for 5 minutes, you could not be bothered to help the driver a little bit.
I have driven buses and coaches in the 6 years i have been with First and most of the time, its been great.
The majority of of my time has been really enjoyable and most of my passengers have been really nice but there seems to be this die hard section of the public that will only be happy if a bus can run every 5 minutes with a full load and a driver that carries £500 in spare change, has the answer to every question in the world, can repair a vehicle by clicking his fingers and have 24hr bus lanes running throughout Bristol on every road.
Look at the big picture people, Arriva and Stagecoach have both said no way to running a bus service in Bristol and even Richard Branson has said he would run at a loss if he tried so thank yourselves lucky that you even have a bus service.
rob, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 21:53
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Alright rob,

bullsh!t like this sales papers which is what the bep want. Some numpty can't open a simple door. Hold the front page, we can spin this.

Useless idiot passengers and the general public of Bristol have got little respect for what drivers have to do and deal with. I am fed up with the lot of them. Commenting on things they know nothing about making assumptions based on other peoples assumptions.

Sort it out Bristol
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 21:00
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So, lets get this straight. A possible fire started at the back of the coach and the obvious thing to do was to try and exit from the back of the coach into the middle of the m4? Dear lord, these people give birth to future generations??? Oh, the volcano is about to erupt, lets walk closer to the lava just in case (for those that dont understand sarcasm, this will be lost on you)
I happen to know the driver in question very well and believe me, he did check the emergency exit, as we all have to. The punishment a driver could get if found not to be doing his regular checks would be, as you would expect carrying passengers, extremely hard. If the emergency door had not opened on his checks, the vehicle would have been taken off the road straight away.
All of First coaches vehicle have 3 emergency hammers (and like the emergency exit, have an idiot guide on how to use them)
So, in all the comments, we have 2 completely different versions of how Mr Walkington tried to open the emergency exit, so rather than the obvious easy target of slating First Coaches, how about actually waiting for the official report?
Oh, and because after the vehicle had been recovered back to the depot, the engineer was able to open it, he was obviously lying? Do you really think he would risk his livelyhood and reputation?
Maybe, just maybe, Mr Walkington didnt use the handle which is signed by the way, and just decided brute force and ignorance was the order of the day and is now playing on it in aid of a bit of compensation?
As i said earlier, dont fling wild accusations about the coach being unroadworthy and the mechanic lying about the state of the door becuase i can guarantee that 98% of the replies to this article were not on the coach and have not seen it in the aftermath so unless you are actually dealing with the incident in person, may i suggest you keep your accusations to yourself rather than sully the name of the people that keep this service on the road.
Yes i am a coach driver and yes, i work for First Coaches, hence i probably know a little more than most of the posters in this article. Its not biased opinion, just pure and simple fact.
Rob, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 20:47
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Wrong. It's a first group coach
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 20:43
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More likely the bloke wasn't trying to open the door properly than it not opening. Kicking the door wouldn't open it as you have to open the door with the lever. Also at the rear of the vehicle are hammer which could of been used to smash the near side rear window to escape through.

The headline should be 49 people safely evacuated from coach after it catches fire on the m4. I expect the engineer was able to open just as anyone on board would of been able to if they operated the mechanism correctly
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 20:24
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I was on the coach with my daughter an her friend. We were sat where the smoke was coming from. I would like to thank the guy who tried the emergency door. As other people near the front paniced they blocked the isle. All of us at the back who were in the thick of the smoke had to stand waiting while they got off first.
kirstie, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 20:07
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Nobody was hurt, National Express will learn from this and let's be honest what other service in the UK comes close to matching National Express for reliability, price, efficiency and customer service in general.
Good news that all are safe!
Richard, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 19:38
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Mike Bailey

Loved your comment, very funny. Where is Mike Ford though, comments are getting funnier as its getting later!
Mike, North Somerset
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 17:42
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I was on the coach that caught fire, the guy did try to open the emergencey door but was unable to do so. Good job as it would have meant people exiting into the first lane of the M4 which was still in use. No heroes about, some panicked and screamed some kept their heads, we all got off ok. In general it was a shambles but then what do you expect, it is not something we are used to dealing with on a daily basis. Until you are faced with something like this who knows how you will react be happy no one was seriously hurt.
collin field, Yate
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 17:41
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If the 'hero' that saved the coach by finding a fire would like to explain how he attempted to open the fire exit and whether the vehicle was still in motion when he tried to open it.

I drive vehicles like this one regularly and the door can only be locked to prevent it being open from the outside.

Me thinks this guy is trying to make national express look bad
Driver, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 17:14
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i was on that bus Michelle, and he didnt give it a good kick.

he panicked like a three year old running around and that.

then threw a hissy fit and went home.

When we needed heroes we got zeroes.

How he is in the paper I do not know.
Mike Bailey, Hengrove
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 17:13
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KB-I bet the National express engineer said that. He doesn't want the company to get into trouble. Why didn't they get an independant company to look at it? It was quite a serious incident since the bus actually caught fire. I'm pretty sure Mr Walkington gave that door a good kick ESPECIALLY if he was in a state of panic.
michelle, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 16:53
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KB,

I'll think you'll find that on the model RD/332-A buses as operated by National Express 040 service to London, the sign on the emergency door does in fact read ... 'In case of emergency - boot here twice'

What more could the gentleman have done in this situation
wibble, Hang on, give me a shot at it ... hoof
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 16:32
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Michelle, National Express' engineer tried the door later and had no problem opening it. I would suggest that perhaps in a state of panic, Mr Walkington failed to operate the opening mechanism properly. After all, by opening the door withouit a proper evacuation route set up, he could have caused the fire to spread
KB, Bristol, England
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 16:01
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If the BEP is looking for a proof reader I'll do it. I'm looking for work & have 25 years experience in the print industry.
Lawrence, BS6
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 15:54
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Safety or not , having a fire door locked is a breach of the fire code. This bus company could be in alot of trouble.
michelle, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 15:30
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ANGER?!!

Gotta love the BEP
George, Bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 15:18
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I'm so glad I'm not the only one immature enough to have a snigger at the 'head' comment. Shame on the National Express for not making sure that everyone 'got off' safely! BEP, seriously, get someone who can proof read. It was an innocent comment made to look a little smutty this time but could actually cause offence if a similar mistake was made in a more serious story.
Old enough to know better, Trying to keep a straight face at my desk
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 15:15
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if he hasnt i guess he'll be trying to get compo on that aswell.. haha
Rodge the Dodge, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 14:20
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I wonder if the "court" man in the McDonald's ants story had his head done.
Lawrence, BS6
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 14:18
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inappropriate for you maybe! im glad i didnt miss the chance to get my 'head done'

hahaha, should definately invest in some proof reading BEP
Rodge the Dodge, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 14:13
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Obviously a reporter with a hearing problem, it's De Clifford Rd not The Clifford.
Chris, Bristle
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 14:09
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......passengers got on to two passing National Express coaches, there was no head done to see if everyone had got off safely.

Glad to hear there was no head done. That would've certainly been inappropriate.
Lawrence, BS6
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 14:06
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Colin, Sam talks sense. A few years back, a high speed train caught fire and several passengers were killed because they climbed out of the train on the wrong side and were struck by another train. This could have been a story about passengers being killed on the motorway, rather than a bit of a non-story about an alleged failure of the emergency door to open.
KB, Bristol, England
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 13:50
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solomon, well done the driver was one of your comments? are you sure you wasnt the driver? and sam from longwell green, are you an expert on coach fires by any chance.
colin, L.dub
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 13:11
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pete bs1 wat a poor fella has to go back today, but thank you for your input. i think your reading the wrong story. bless.
colin, l.dub
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 13:03
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Reg Perkiiiins, tayk me 'oommme
too the plaaace, ahhh beeloonng
Lawrewnce Weston, open prison
Reg Perkins, take me home..

(apologies to John Denver... and the good old folk from LW)
wibble, Back seat having a crafty ciggie
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 12:53
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Colin W...... Sorry to disappoint you but I actually work for a rival coach firm, hence my unsocial working hours and being able to correct you on here during 'normal' working hours!!!

Strange that you were the only passenger not to continue your journey - but thankfully your match was live on TV so you didn't miss it. God bless.
Solomon, Posh end of Artcliffe
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 11:11
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The lights did work numpty!
Pete, BS1
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 10:42
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I would have thought that the drivers would have to go through a check list before leaving the depot. Things like do the lights work, do the doors open etc. Very poor!
Dave, The Downs
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 10:33
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No Colin

You are incorrect
Samantha creed, Longwell green
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 09:56
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i would just like to comment on what afew people have said about the fire on the 040 coach yesterday to london, which i was on, sounds like JB has had claims turned down in the past and SOLOMON works for national express, its a shame you both wasnt on the coach yesterday? anyway thank you evening post for making people aware of slack safety checks on so called SAFE coaches.
colin walkington, bristol
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 09:44
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er...motorway pile up not pilot
Samantha Creed, longwell green
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 09:40
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Lawrence Weston/Compo etc...

It is such a shame that nowadays in the time of adversity everyone thinks of themselves.

Smell fumes/panic/open wrong door/cause motorway pilot.

is this really headline news?
Samantha Creed, longwell green
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 09:39
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Looks like someone wants to make a claim, much ado about nowt.
Even the report is flawed, it states that the fire was in Bristol, no, it was on the M4.
JG, Bristle
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 08:36
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Emergency exits are usually situate on the offside of coaches to facilitate exiting if the coach rolls onto it's nearside.

Just as well that they couldn't open the door in this case as passengers - especially young children - would have spilled out onto the busy motorway. Perhaps the driver used his common sense and prevented egress via this door for passenger safety reasons. Well done drive!!!
Solomon, Posh end of Artcliffe
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 08:32
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Elsewhere on the coach would have been some hammers with which to hit the windows out if necessary, this facility is there as a back up in case the emergency door fails. As part of a drivers daily walk round inspection, the emergency exit should have been checked and recorded if it was not up to scratch. Glad everyone was safe and well.
A person, Not on a coach
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commented on 27-Aug-2009 07:39

Omnisounduk posted this video on You Tube on 26th August 2009...

2009-08-16T20:55:00.001+01:00

Oxford Mail reports on 14th August 2009...

Disabled man slams coach firm after being stranded

A DISABLED man from Oxford is threatening to take legal action against National Express after what he called a “diabolical” series of blunders.

Robert Light, who uses an electric wheelchair, has accused the coach company of letting down disabled people, because its system to help disabled passengers had constantly let him down.

Mr Light, 66, of Colemans Hill, Headington, said he had to turn around and come home again on an abortive trip to Bradford, West Yorkshire, and was left on his own in London to pay for a taxi and train to his destination on another occasion.

Disabled people can call a National Express helpline at least 24 hours before departure so that the company can ensure a suitably-adapted coach is available for their journey.

Mr Light’s problems began on May 21, when the wheelchair user caught an Oxford Tube service to London to board a pre-booked National Express coach to Bradford.

He said: “I got to London, to be told by the duty manager, after she phoned head office in Birmingham, that I was not booked – but I had a ticket.

“She told me that she could not get me on the next bus, because it was also not for the disabled and that there was nothing more she could do, so I had to go straight home on the Oxford Tube I had just come up on.”

On June 25, the same situation arose when Mr Light, who had pre-booked a ticket, was told he was not due to be on the coach.

He said: “I was told there were no disabled buses on the Bradford route at all that day and they asked me if I would make my own way to my destination.”

After paying £22 for a taxi from Victoria to King’s Cross and £57 on a rail ticket to Brighouse, near Bradford, Mr Light — who has severe sciatica, arthritis and osteoporosis in his spine, pelvis and hips – met two National Express customer relations representatives the following week. He said: “They told me that National Express had failed on this occasion.

“They said they would reimburse me for the cost of travel and I would hear from them in four weeks. That was six weeks ago and I’ve had nothing.”

He also suffered problems booking tickets with National Express in July, when he says a string of calls were not returned.

Mr Light said he had consulted a solicitor about legal action under legislation to prevent discrimination. He added: “To leave me in London like they did was just diabolical.

“I’m looking into legal action. I’m not going to stand for it. It’s not about compensation, they shouldn’t be able to do this to disabled people.”

A National Express spokes-man said Mr Light would be reimbursed for his train and taxi fares and added: “We offer our sincere apologies to Mr Light for his experiences.

“We will stay in contact with Mr Light to ensure future journeys are as smooth as possible.”

2009-07-24T19:53:00.002+01:00

Ruth Ellen writes on 23rd July 2009...

They may have been carting frugal travellers around since 1972, but I have only recently cottoned on to just how much cheapness there is to be enjoyed with National Express coaches.

Sinking back into a leathery black seat, as concrete high-rise and urban bustle gave way sweeping Home Counties’ green, I spent the two hours from Victoria to Brighton smug in the knowledge that my £5 return ticket cost considerably less than the box of diabetic Thorntons chocolates I demolished at lunch. (I’m not diabetic – just figured they must be healthier.) With surprisingly clear roads, and my fellow Friday-evening passengers few and sleepy, this seemed like an all-in-all bargainous way to travel.

...Snip...

my return Sunday journey began with boarding the coach deep in ponderings on whether to become a happy Brighton person, and so completely blind to the substantial deterioration in vehicle standards from my previous National Express encounter.

Beginning to register the coarsely covered and decidedly hard seat, my knees jammed right up against the seatback in front of me, I suddenly became aware that a) the back of a very hairy man’s head is less than three inches from my face, and b) I’m engulfed in the stench of fried food.

Clearly, National Express coaches are not all made from the same mould. And, under the direction of the karma god of bargain transport, I was now paying for Friday’s First Class service. As if being close enough to lick a stranger’s head whilst crammed in to bruising point was not enough, surrounding me now, filling nearly every other seat, were gabbling Spanish students eating with much gusto from greasy orange boxes of chicken.

After two looong hours of shrieking teenagers, and having to move my head to the side every time hairy-man felt the need to service his head with a thorough scratching (which was about every other minute), the madness of Victoria station was welcome relief.

2009-07-13T16:45:00.002+01:00

travel rat writes on 10th July 2009...

In the past, I’ve often ranted … nay, fulminated … about the squalid tip that was the Digbeth Street Coach Station in Birmingham. The armpit of the universe, I once called it, a place with all the charm of an abandoned multi-storey car park. A seedy cafeteria, manned by a runny-nosed immigrant who spoke little English, and 20p. to use the toilet.

The only good thing there was ‘Katie’s’, a bright, cheerful pie and sandwich shop just around the corner; truly a rose among the thistles! But, that only catered to the lunchtime trade, and closed about 2 pm.

So, imagine my surprise when my northbound National Express bus pulled into a new facility. A light, airy hall, information boards, a shop and an Upper Crust franchise. Thins were looking up … the only fly in the ointment was you still have to pay 20p. to use the khasi. You could, of course, use the one in the bus before you get to Birmingham … but, try it when the bus is schlepping down the motorway at 60 mph. That’s why most experienced bus-riders keep it for the gravest emergencies.

Pleasant as this is … it’s only temporary, while they build a new, purpose-built coach terminal on the site of the old Digbeth Street terminal. And, if the model in the temporary facility is to be believed, that’s going to be quite something!

On the way home, our coach broke down in Chester. I was impressed with the way the driver dealt with it, and ensured we all got to Birmingham in time to make our connections.

And, here is a picture of our replacement coach … only joking; it just happened to be at the bus stop when we limped in. But, it was working; our state-of-the-art, four year old coach wasn’t … and it is rather good, isn’t it?

nutty al writes on 2nd July 2009...

Travelled to Heathrow on National Express coach with one change in Birmingham. Unfortunately, we had a female member of the Russian Mafia in a seat adjacent to us who made more phone calls on her mobile than I make in months. Felt like taking out the Kalashnikov and giving her a quick burst! Changed seats to get away from her but only managed to find yet another female (Asian this time) who was using TWO mobiles at once....................I give up!!

what would henry rollins do writes on 1st July 2009...

...One the way down I also puked within about 15 minutes of being on the coach, much to the dismay of the girl I was sitting next to. The thing is though, national express coaches are too hot, they have leather seats, and it’s impossible for me to ever be comfortable on a coach seat unless I can put my feet in the aisle, thanks to my freakishly long but sleek, slender, supple legs. And I was sitting in the window seat. Due to this sickness I spent around 10 minutes leaning up against the wall in the toilet, which smelled pretty bad, trying to catch a breeze through an air vent and puking up the contents of my stomach, which at that point was limited to water and bile. The rest of the journey was comparatively ok, but I think the only thing I said for around half an hour was a pathetic, comedic ‘oh god’… I find people’s reactions to their own misfortune are often funnier than the misfortune itself...

2009-06-26T17:42:00.001+01:00

A consumer newbie posts on 16th June 2009...

Advice needed on a botched National Express issue

Sorry, this story is a long one and to be honest I am fuming with the company and will not accept this treatment, not only do I want a full refund of the ticket price but I want a letter of apology to my wife for the treatment she experienced.

I have posted this same story on a different forum but sadly not received any advice yet and hope members of this forum might be able to help

Can I ask please for your help and advise on this matter. Even please tell me if I am "flogging a dead donkey" and wasting my time.

Sunday 14th June 2009 my wife had to travel from one location to another, for various reasons she chose to travel on National Express coaches. She had to be at her destination because our son (at boarding school) was having an operation the next morning and wanted he mum to be with him (understandably, he is a little nervous and frightened). Anyway, her journey involved a transfer at Heathrow from one coach to another, with the first leg uneventful and she reported it was quite relaxing.

On arrival at Heathrow she located the next coach, loaded her baggage and took her seat. Several minutes later the coach left. Within minutes of leaving the coach broke down, they spent some time while the driver and mechanic spoke on the telephone. It resulted in the coach returning to the depot. On arrival the driver asked the passengers to disembark. But not to go to far as he needed to get on the road (I suspect he was running short of driver hours). My wife TOLD the driver she needed to go to the bathroom and would be back shortly. On her return to the bay where she disembarked (no more than 5 minutes) she recognised another women off the same coach who informed her that the coach had left.
Obviously my wife did not believe this initially as all of her belongings for the week were on the bus. Within seconds the realisation set in and she was mortified, she was panicking and worried about how she could get to see our son before the Monday morning. Now I will explain, my wife is a very nervous person who panics at the simplest thing, she can get tearful very easily. The other lady (the only thing my wife and this other lady have in common was they were on the same coach and both left behind, other than this they do not know each other, nor are they friends/family.) told my wife to follow her and she will sort it. Nervously my wife followed into the main bus depot to explain their plight. It was then they were both told, sorry, you have missed it, you did not answer to tanoy calls so the driver left. They claim to have made 5 tanoy announcements. Despite the two women being stranded and the coach leaving only seconds before National they refused to contact the driver to tell him to return. At this moment my wife became visibly upset and the other women lost her temper, shouting ranting and raving, using abusive language. At was at this time my wife called me for help, all i had was the internet and a phone. Naturally I tried to call the Heathrow office but as it the normal with everything its all central. So was put through to someone in Birmingham. I explained my wife’s issue and he said he would assist, investigate and call me back immediately. It was after this call my wife called me back to tell me the other women had assaulted a member of staff by going behind the counter and grabbing her by the throat and that the police had been called. I advised her to stay well away and not to associate herself with this women because they my think you know each other and refuse you to travel. A couple of moments later a second member of staff approached my wife to ask her destination saying she could getting on a second coach due to leaving shortly that way they will drop her off a close as possible to her destination. After 45 minute the central office had not called so I called them, I asked for the individual and was transferred, kept on hold for 15 minutes, before I hung up and tried again, this time transferred to him immediately. To my horror he said due to the assault on his member of staff my wife was not allowed to travel and was being arrested for abusive language. I couldn’t believe my ears and did become slightly agitated and frustrated thanking him using the following "well thanks for sod all, if this is they way you treat paying customers then I will never use your service again" I rang my wife back to find out the police had attended and spoke to her, they escorted the other lady off the premises saying she was banned form travelling and to wait for her boyfriend to collect her. For my wife she was told that she had been unfortunate and because the tanoy system does not work in the toilet she missed her bus, but because of the other persons actions you too are banned from travelling. The police were frustrated for her and offered to help get her to a tube to get into central London to catch a train. They gave her their details to allow her to use them if she wishes to complain. One even said, if she was his partner he would have driven to the location himself to speak to them.

On speaking to my wife after she boarded a train and has settled down it was then she told me, the lady who was assaulted was the manager and has instructed all her staff not to speak to my wife. When she attempted to ask for help this manager held her hand up to my wife’s face and walked away. She then spoke to the other women that had offered to help get her on a second coach, but this women said she was able to transfer her but her manager had cancelled it, tell all the staff not to help her as she was a friend of this women and will be arrested.

After I had calmed down but still frustrated I called the central office again to ask what they intend to do with unaccompanied baggage? (which in my opinion in today’s world is a security risk and should never be allowed to happen, I don’t care if it’s a plane, coach or train) They said this was normal practice and I would need to speak to someone in a different office then they attempted to transfer me. A few moments later I was told the other office refused to speak to me for being abusive and swearing, remember all I said was "thanks for sod all" I understand I will have come across as agitated, but to claim I was abusive and offensive is down right slander. Then the guy told me, once her luggage can be identified by the driver they will unload it and leave it somewhere.

Thankfully a friend was able to be at the location of drop off and collected her bags, he spoke to the driver explained what had happened. His response I found was unbelievable. This is not my words, but words of their drivers (who was not the one at Heathrow, they had swapped en-route.) "Oh not again, the bloody staff at Heathrow are always doing this, they don’t understand basic English and as soon as someone shows frustration or gets upset, they always call to police and say they were swearing. I was witness an old lady whose luggage had gone missing, the lady was hard of hearing and was shouting, so loud those around her could hear her words clearly and felt sorry. The staff refused to help her, called to police saying she was using foul and threatening behaviour, the lady must have been 80 and no one heard any language other than her asking for help and advice. The Police arrived and were going to take to word of the staff and escort the lady away, until other member of public and drivers intervened informing the police of what actually occurred. Even then the staff refused to talk to her, demanding the police remove her as she was being racist." This I couldn’t believe, any other time I would have said never, no way would someone treat a lady like that. But having experienced the incident yesterday I can now see it happening and I hate to say it, but I think it is disgusting that people act this way and get away with it.

Sorry to have gone on slightly, but I appeal to you all for advice and guidance.

Many thanks

2009-06-14T15:07:00.002+01:00

BBC News website reports on 9th June 2009...

Coach bursts into flames on m-way.

A coach driver led 49 passengers to safety after their vehicle burst into flames on the M1.

The London to Nottingham coach pulled on to the hard shoulder of the motorway in Leicestershire after developing mechanical problems on Monday night.

Driver Don Edwards got the passengers off the National Express coach and firefighters put out the flames.

Passenger Heather Savage from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, described the driver as an "absolute hero".

The incident happened near junction 22, the Coalville turn off.

Ms Savage said: "Within a few minutes the bus was (full of) thick, black smoke - and that's a killer, more than the flames.

"It could have been terrible but the driver got everybody calmly off the bus. He was amazing."

Mr Edwards said: "I have safety training so I remained calm and reassured the customers while a replacement coach arrived.

"I'm pleased to have helped people on board."

A spokesperson for National Express said: "All customers and staff were safely removed from the vehicle.

"Safety is always our number one priority and we are currently investigating the cause of the issue."

A replacement coach arrived two hours later and passengers were able to complete their journey.

BBC News website shows a 27 second video without sound of the above National Express coach fire. Click this link to watch the thick black smoke.

2009-05-27T16:00:00.001+01:00

James Kirkup writes on 27th May 2009...

Whoa there, I almost forgot to go into severe detail about my troubles with National Express the other week.

Let me start of by saying how mega the coach is, it’s brilliant. I’ve found myself traveling up to Leeds every couple of weeks and if I book far enough in advance I can get a return journey to Leeds from London for about a tenner – quids in! However the journey truly sucks balls, I’m a pretty tall fella and there isn’t much room for me pins, along side the fact the lights always screw up so reading is a no no and there’s no power to help my laptop survive an episode of the wire.

So she ain’t near perfect but it get’s me up north for the weekend for next to nothing which is the main thing. However last week when I was going up late friday evening I decided to make the not so wise decision of sitting at the front of the coach for leg room related purposes. What a mistake this turned out to be though as I caught the driver not only texting his beloved but playing the death trap of all mind games, tetris, whilst driving in the wet! What the douche.. this guy was mixing some pretty wobbly driving, whilst trying to rack up a top score. I thought I was going to die.

I tried to capture the exact moment on me camera and I’m waiting on National Express for a good bit of compensation.. until next time Death Coach!

2009-05-03T22:14:00.001+01:00

Bus Pass Pilgrims reports on 24th April 2009...

We all slept well at our various hosts homes. We met at the York train station at 9.30am and after leaving our luggage in the left luggage office we went off to explore York. Colin and Ken decided to visit the railway museum, Di went for a walk around the walls and by the river to take some photographs. Sue, Gina and Joyce went to the Jorvic centre and spent time around the Shambles.
Pat, Rennie and Maggie made for the shops. We all met at 1.30pm for lunch together and then after more walking around the walls and through the town, we finally met at the train station, collected our bags and waited at the bus stop for our 16.25 national express coach to arrive. We waited and we waited and eventually it arrived 1 hour later. Due to this we missed our X5 connection at Milton keynes, so instead of finishing in the manner we had become used to, by using our passes, we had to hire a mini bus and a car to bring us all back to Bicester. At least it took us all home to our own homes. We were all grateful to see Bicester again, but on the whole everyone said it was well worth doing and we all got on together so well, it made it all worthwhile.

2009-04-07T20:38:00.002+01:00

Richard McAuliffe writes on 7th April 2009...

All aboard the Bhangra Bus!

So I said I went to London for the weekend, yeah?
As we are a bit skint we got the bus up, not the train which was all cool enough till the trip back.

We got on the National Express coach, all fine. And then the driver started his engine to leave, and also put on his music. Now this is a bit odd... usually on these coaches the driver gives you the spiel about consideration to others with regards ipods etc and if he does have a radio on you'd struggle to hear it in the front seat. Not our lovely Indian driver.
I was about 5 rows back, and the volume to me, on a moving coach, was about the same as the volume I'd have the television on. For him it must have been on "Im in the car alone and I dont want to hear myself as I sing along" volume. And it was BAAAAAD shit too.
Im not gonna pretend to like any Indian music, even roll my eyes when George Harrison whips out the sitar on a Beatles album, but this was the stuff that sounds like 4 old men being tortured while two other cunts accompany them on a kazoo and a triangle. Just fucking horrible. And he only had the one 60 minute cd... and it was a three and a half hour journey... so he looped it.

But that wasnt the most fucked up bit. What was, was that I noticed we were doing sudden swerves every 10-15 minutes. So being in an aisle I was checking the driver out in his rear view mirror and realised every now and then he had a Turban Procedure (tm).
This would involve patting the sides, patting the back, patting the sides again. A double tap on the front. Then a full slide from the back TO the front.

All this two handed

All while driving a bus full of people at 70 mph.... without any hands on the wheel

All ending in a "Oh dear, I have now drifted into the other lane" swerve.

Fun stuff. Luckily I had a cool book with me so kinda lost myself in that and tuned his shit out. Iz slept through most of it but I couldnt do that coz with the background "music" playing Im pretty sure I woulda had nightmares about that fucker from Temple of Doom coming to rip my heart out with a bit of KHALI-MAAARRR!

2009-03-30T16:47:00.002+01:00

Luke Rowe wrote on Sunday 29th March 2009...

I am still mulling over a harrowing last hour in London on Saturday, running through the streets with an unimpressed Miss P in tow attempting to get to Victoria coach station (itself an absolute mess of logistics, two separate buildings? really?). The Victoria line was shut for the weekend at our link and never ask for directions to Victoria coach station ether, everyone directs you to the train station and when you have zero seconds to spare, this is not useful.
We got some decent directions at Buck house from the bobby with the big gun and made it with a minute to spare. We then learnt our coach would be late anyways. I was told only once did my face ever fall into panic , and only because I didn't wanna be stuck in London with no means. The National Express back to Bristol was cold and shit and all I could picture was Queen Victoria's miserable fucking face.

gornal wolf writes on Sunday 29th March 2009...

Wembley (sat)
Went to wembley yesterday to watch england.Saw 6 wolves fans in a matter of 4 mins when i arrived.Separate families too.If the family from telford come on here who's son is the jinx in the steve bull stand (you will know) i say hi to you and good to meet you.
Anyway got the coach from dudley and we had to pick up at digbeth in brum.Quite a few brummies got on.There were 4 oldish guys (60-65) who got on at brum.Now 1 of them was very confident in himself.Shouting so everyone else could here him,1 or 2 swear words.Anyway all was going good and about 1 hour from stadium he goes to the toilet on coach.In there for good few mins then opens the door and you could wreak SMOKE.He walked past us going back to his seat and he stunk of it.Nobody said anything.
Well on the way back we were about 5 mile from oxford services when he goes to the toilet again.Was in and out in bout 90 seconds,stunk of fags again as he walked back to his seat.The coach driver pulls up on the hard shoulder and goes up to this guy and said you just bin to the toilet? Chap says might have.Driver said you've been smoking! Brummy said i aint.Coach driver says you have cus you set the alarm off in my cab.I'm driving to oxford services and your off the coach,you bin smoking in the toilet,broke the law and i'm calling the police.
This brummy bloke said "there aint no signs up to say you cant smoke on here!!!
Coach driver just laughed along with half the coach passengers who heard it.Anyway we pulled up at services and credit to driver he stuck to his guns and threw him off.Must of been about 9.30pm aswell.No police were called but if he didnt get off the coach they would of.
Went with national express
So dont ever take the risk if you do smoke it could be you next.

Ken Gregory writes on Saturday 28th March 2009...

From next wednesday (April 1st although its no joke) bus passes, so loudly shouted as available for travel across the whole country, will not be valid on any service where 51% of the seats CAN be booked in advance. This effectively rules out loads of national express routes. Governments comment is that ' bus passes were only intended for local use'. My point being, little or no publicity has been given to the implications of this new legislation.

Ben Webster writes on 28th March 2009...

End of the road for free go-anywhere bus pass for the over-60s

Are you 60 or over and do you fancy a free trip to the seaside? Grab your coat because this weekend is your last opportunity to take advantage of a benefit that the Government is quietly withdrawing.

From next Wednesday - April Fool's Day - bus passes issued to the elderly and disabled will no longer be valid on hundreds of services.

A year ago, ministers trumpeted the Government's generosity in giving 11 million people free travel on all local buses and coaches in England. Now pass holders will once again have to pay on coaches, park-and-ride buses, open-top bus tours and any services intended “primarily for tourism”.

Since last April, the Government has spent more than £1 billion funding the passes. But there is still a shortfall in many areas and dozens of local authorities have had to increase council tax or cut services to reimburse bus companies.

The bus pass has been so successful in popular tourist destinations, such as North Norfolk and along the South Coast, that bus companies have had to put on extra services. Paying passengers on services into Swanage, Dorset, have complained of having to stand all the way because all the seats on double deckers were taken by over-60s pass holders.

Under the existing rules, any bus or coach service with stops less than 15 miles apart is considered a local service and the operator must accept bus passes. But the Government has rewritten the rules and, from April 1, passes will not be eligible on any service on which more than half the seats can be booked.

Passes will no longer be valid on dozens of National Express coaches, including from London to Brighton, Eastbourne to Portsmouth, Plymouth to Penzance, Hereford to Swindon, Blackpool to Preston, and Newark to Grimsby.

It will become much harder for holders to travel from one end of England to the other without paying, a feat already achieved by dozens of pensioners. Pat Towle, a grandmother of five from Chudleigh, Devon, spent a fortnight last summer travelling free for almost 1,000 miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Land's End.

Campaigners for the elderly and disabled fear that local authorities and bus companies will reclassify many more services to make pensioners pay.

David Sinclair, the head of policy at Help the Aged, said: “We are extremely concerned that what was supposed to be a national scheme may be being whittled away. These changes to the rules should not be exploited to withdraw the right to concessionary travel on services on which the elderly rely. One in eight older people describe themselves as often or always lonely and access to transport is vital to tackling that isolation.”

On Monday the Liberal Democrats will try to block the new rules in Parliament by challenging the statutory instrument laid by Paul Clark, the junior Transport Minister.

John Leech, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, said: “The Government seems to be trying to cut down on the use of free bus passes by the back door without any parliamentary scrutiny. It says that local authorities could choose to fund these services themselves but many ... cannot afford it.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said that the bus pass was intended for use only on local services, not on longer routes. “These changes will clarify which types of service are outside of the spirit of the national concession, reducing potential for any confusion over whether a service is eligible.”

Travel by numbers

11 million the number of bus pass holders in England

£1billion the annual amount spent by the Government on the bus pass

£600,000 the average shortfall in bus pass funding among 70 local authorities

9.30am-11pm the times passes are valid Monday to Friday (they can be used at any time at weekends and on public holidays)

39 the number of buses that a holder would need to catch to travel free from Land's End to Berwick-upon-Tweed

Sources: DfT; Lib Dems; bus timetables

Stroud News and Journal reports on 24th March 2009...

Stonehouse widow left traumatised by London pick-pockets

A CLERGY widow from Stonehouse was left shaken and traumatised after she was targeted by thieves during a trip to visit her son in London.

Great grandmother Paddi Spruyt, who regularly volunteers at a Stroud day care centre, lost almost £170 in cash, a bank card and family photographs when she was pick-pocketed in a café at Heathrow Central bus and coach station.

Mrs Spruyt, whose husband the Rev John Spruyt died several years ago, was travelling alone by National Express coach to visit her son in Essex last month.

"It has left me very traumatised," she said.

"I find it hard to sleep now, I see the man who stole from me vividly all the time.

"Going by coach is the only way I can visit my son, and I will go back soon but it has left me feeling scared and vulnerable around strangers."

National Express has since posted her some of her treasured photographs and other items from her stolen wallet after they were found abandoned on one of their coaches.

Police in London are continuing their investigations.

2009-03-23T14:37:00.003Z

The Argus (Brighton and Hove) reports on 22nd March 2009...

Pensioners' free bus travel to be curbed

Thousands of pensioners entitled to free bus travel will have their wanderlust curbed.

The Government has ruled that some companies will now be exempt from the controversial concessionary bus fares scheme.

Travel firms such as National Express and Megabus will now be allowed to opt out.

A Department for Transport spokesman said the move would close loopholes which allowed free travel on routes that were never intended to be in the scheme.

But Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson, the shadow minister for older people, criticised the changes.

He said they made a nonsense of the scheme if some companies were allowed to pull out as they pleased.

Mr Waterson said: "It is another blow for hard-pressed pensioners who have seen their cost of living rocket and the income from their savings plummet."

Since last April pensioners and disabled people have been able to use their bus passes to travel for free on all local buses in the UK.

This has included more than 100 services run by National Express which runs coaches from Brighton, Eastbourne and Chichester to London, from Brighton to Gatwick, and from Eastbourne to Portsmouth.

The Argus exclusively revealed in January that the DfT was conducting a review after lobbying from operators.

The DfT spokesman said the review had now been concluded and had successfully found ways of "tightening up" the legislation around coaches, tour buses and park-and-ride services.

He said: "These kinds of services were never intended to be included and we have now amended that."

National Express will start charging again on April 1.

A spokeswoman for the firm said the move would simplify what had become a difficult situation.

She said: "Our services are supposed to be pre-booked so the only time people were able to use them for free was if they waited at a stop and a coach arrived which was not fully booked.

"This often provided a problem with people having to be turned away at the roadside. That was not good for the people who were waiting or for our drivers who had to turn them away."

In January statistics showed 22,500 free trips had been taken on coaches.

It had yet to be clarified whether National Express would still be able to claim the fuel subsidy it received for operating services designated as local.

2009-03-13T20:40:00.002Z

A Transport of Delight reports on 13th March 2009...

Driver's unusual announcement

A couple of days ago I travelled to Sheffield by National Express coach Service 350 from Nottingham. I've read on this blog, which I very much enjoy contributing to, about humerous coach driver announcements, though have not encountered any such examples myself. "If only the coach drivers would use their microphone more!" is usually my opinion!!

However, my trip aboard a Stagecoach in Mansfield Volvo B12M recently, Liverpool-bound, was my first introduction to a driver that I'd describe as a "right character". I don't want any of his superiors to read this and him to get into trouble, so I won't mention his name or the date I was travelling, but his opening gambit to a half-full coach was to stand in the centre of the aisle and exclaim "Now, we don't permit you to defaecate in the toilet, solids are for bus stations!"

He then went through a load of legislation about seat belt-wearing, which simply was not true. He physically forced the people sat in the front two seats to wear theirs as apparently he was responsible as those seats were in his line of vision and "if a Policeman gets on and sees you're not wearing them, I get an £80 fine and so do you!"

Quite what he'd make of Stagecoach in Bedford's new Volvo B9Rs for use on Service X5 (Cambridge-Oxford) that do not have seat belts fitted to any seats except the front one on each side, is anyone's guess.

We were then all treated to a personal story of his about how he knows the law and wasn't happy with the attitude of an employee of BT who was doing work at his house and so escorted him off the premises and is in consultation with his Uncle Alan, who's a barrister, hoping to seek some sort of financial compensation. Knowing the dubious rights that strangers have in our own homes, I remember chuckling to myself that the BT employee probably had more of a case for action to be taken - but I wonder if British Telecom has an Uncle Alan??

The coach was spotlessly clean and driven well in both directions but all four drivers that I came into contact with during my return trip (drivers changed over in both directions at Mansfield). There was a fairly negative article in March's BUSES magazine about the recent journeys the article writer had undertaken on board NX coaches, and my journey represented excellent value for money and it also introduced me to the wonderful world of driver announcements.

2009-03-09T19:30:00.001Z

notes from the big fug reports on 8th March 2009...

Just saw a National Express coach racing down Buckingham Palace Road with it’s full luggage hold door wide open. Right turn = bag disaster.

2009-03-01T19:47:00.001Z

Jules writes on 1st March 2009...

...Got the National Express coach up to Cheltenham. Several student types were my coachmates. Not in a good way. One was asleep across two seats in front of me, another was eating a cold pasta salad whose hideous aroma wafted across two rows and entered my nose. I was like WTFFFF? It was quarter to eleven in the morning. Not nap time, not lunch time. I doubt these miscreants would be sleeping or lunching at home, so why do it on the National Express?...

2009-02-17T20:37:00.002Z

Hannah writes on 17th February 2009...

so basically my suprise for oli was seeing alkaline trio again in london, we went to get the national express at 9.45, but it was delayed by 2 hours because the brakes werent working... so we got there at about 2.30, and oli was being real weird obviously because i told him we were getting the bus back home at 6.30, so it kinda seemed like a pointless trip to london, especially when he had no money.

barnacle 101 writes on 16th February 2009...

This past weekend I found myself venturing to Bath for a break from the busy city of London, to soak up the culture of the English country side and try to bubble some of the stress away.

Arriving at noon on Friday was exhilarating, finally to be away from the city and finally to get a chance to just enjoy myself without worrying about passport applications, school work or the plague of joblessness. The moment I stepped off the bus, the fresh air of Bath blew across my chest, and the car sickness caused by the rash driving of the polish national express coachman seemed to lessen as we walked to our bed and breakfast.

Bournemouth Echo reports on 14th February 2009...

Passenger's chicken dinner falls ‘fowl’ of coach driver

A NATIONAL Express coach driver has been criticised for refusing to let a couple take food with them on a journey between Ringwood and Bournemouth – even though they wanted it carried in the underfloor luggage area.

Vicki Botto and partner Nabeel Al-Humaidan, both 20, had been given a lift from Vicki’s parents’ home in Alderholt to Ringwood where they caught the 035 National Express to Bournemouth.

They wanted to get off at Bournemouth Travel Interchange before making their way home to Winton.

But before they got on at Ringwood coach station, the driver saw they had a package and asked if it had meat in it.

Vicki told him it was some chicken and tomato sauce. But the driver refused to allow it on board, or even put it in the underfloor luggage space, saying it was against the rules.

“We were going to eat it when we got home,” said Vicki, a nursery nurse.

“But instead we had to give it back to mum.

“When we’ve been on the bus before there have been people eating sandwiches and stuff.

“We were going to put it in the luggage compartment under the coach.

“Then, when we got off the coach the driver said: ‘If you’re asked again if you’ve got meat, just say no’.

“It was so frustrating.”

Vicki’s father Andrew said: “I pity anyone on a long journey who can’t now even take a bag of crisps or a sandwich on a long trip, or a student returning to uni with a bag of goodies from mum and dad to help them out.”

A spokesperson for National Express said: “We have asked the customer to contact us so we can investigate further.

“Our terms and conditions of travel inform customers that they are welcome to bring cold food on board all our coaches.”

The Express and Star - Wolverhampton reports on 11th February 2009...

Coach is halted as driver reaches limit

Coach passengers travelling from the West Midlands to Stansted Airport had to take a 50-minute taxi ride to finish their journey because the driver had reached his allotted time limit for driving says one of the passengers.

Peter Hughes said he almost missed his flight yesterday after a National Express driver parked in a lay-by and refused to move. Mr Hughes, on his way to catch a flight to Grenoble, France, for a snowboarding holiday, says he was told to share a taxi with fellow passengers for the last few miles.

He said that once they were dropped off the taxi driver then picked up people waiting at the airport for the coach back to Birmingham, driving them back to the coach, which was still parked in the lay-by near Luton.

“It was all a bit strange really,” said Mr Hughes, aged 37, of Almond Croft, Great Barr.

“He just pulled up and turfed us out and we had to wait for 15 minutes for this taxi to arrive.

“I think the snow had meant we got stuck in traffic so he ended up driving for five hours, by which time he had to stop.

“No-one looked particularly happy about it.

“We’d got on the coach at Digbeth at 5.30am and I just wanted to sleep.”

European laws regulating hours of work say drivers must have a 45-minute break after driving for four hours and 30 minutes.

Mr Hughes added: “He dropped us in Luton so it was about a 40-mile trip I would say. The the taxi did it back the other way to the coach. It must be costing them a bomb.

“We were meant to arrive at 9.30am but we got there about 11. At least I haven’t missed my flight.”

National Express spokeswoman Carly O’Donnell, said: “Our Stansted service was delayed by adverse weather. Our team arranged for several customers to continue their journey by taxi to help them meet their connecting flights.

“We are committed to delivering the best customer service possible and will always do everything we can to get our customers to their destination.”

NZ Barry writes on 8th February 2009...

So, part of the forward planning I did way back in September was to book a Travelodge in Oxford for a weekend. This involved another tedius bus trip. National Express this time - we stopped for half an hour in Stratford, not to honour Shakespeare, but to let some woman who had a ticket to somewhere north of Birmingham argue her way onto our bus (heading SOUTH from Birmingham). This gave the bus driver and his offsider half an hour's worth of speculation as to what she was up to.

2009-02-07T23:47:00.002Z

Jen Jen writes on 5th February 2009...

Finally I got on my coach and El could go home. I noticed that a lot of people who didn’t have tickets wanted to get on the coach and were pestering the driver. Apparently the entire national express ticketing service had crashed and thus people were really upset. The driver could only take on people who had the exact money for a ticket since he didn’t have any change, but he had to repeat this fact about 30 times.
He dropped his bag on his drivers seat and exclaimed: “Jesus wept!”
Some people still tried to get on for free whilst he was standing in the isle of the coach (I was sitting just a few seats from the front). He looked at them and then straight at me with a resigned expression. I smiled back at him, attempting to be reassuring.
He nodded at me: “Cover your ears sweetheart, because I’m gonna start swearin’.”
Me: “oh oh.” I covered my ears.

The driver was absolutely hilarious. I loved him to bits. He was a big man with graying hair and reminded me of my dad.

Finally the near anarchy was settled and the people who had money got on the coach. They were all smiling. The mood in the coach was good all around. The driver began his safety talk. He made the people laugh many times while explaining the rules, for example the emergency exits, one being in the ceiling in case the bus were to roll over. I let out a little gasp when he mentioned this. He looked at me and said: “Don’t worry, we’re not gonna roll over today!” People giggled.

When the safety talk was finished, he exclaimed: “Lets get the heck outta here!”, while some of the passengers (including me) let out a little “Yaaay” :D

I think most people were just happy to find a working coach.

And so my journey home began. I slept and coughed most of the way.

2009-02-03T21:46:00.002Z

Ross Levere writes on 3rd February 2009...

I woke up early, hitched a lift to the station and purchased a ticket to London Victoria where I was to board a coach to Cardiff and then basically get drunk. Simple, easy, I wish. Arriving at Victoria I follow the signs to the coach area and find the National Express no.509 that I need. I stand there in the cold waiting and watching the driver consume a packed lunch of vile looking sandwichs, he saw me shivering and read his paper. With the coach due to leave at 12.30 I was confused as to why I was still not aboard by 12.28 and decided to ask what the plan was. The answer was not what I wanted to hear!!!! I'm told that the departure area is over the road and that I've been waiting in the arrivals park, now had I taken stupid pills or was I misled by the fact that the SIGNS at the station told me this was where I needed to be. Running over the road I find my coach as the bastard starts up and leaves without me. Even my frantic attempt to flag him down and show him my ticket through the large glass door was met with a shake of the head and tough luck expression. Returning to the ticket office I'm then informed that I cannot simply board the next coach, the ticket applies to one coach only. I'm going to have to pay for a new ticket. £36 lighter in the bank account I wait an hour for the next coach and finally get on my way to Wales, a little late but on route. Relaxing a little I listen to the new Ricky Gervais audiobook I downloaded that morning and watch as london passes me by.
After 3 1/2 hours my legs ache but I'm able to stretch them for a few minutes as we arrive in Cardiff and I call Benedict so that he can come pick me up. Wrong again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 15 minutes he still hasn't found me despite being at the coach station as planned, it turns out the coach had made stop somewhere else and I was miles away from him. Where was I????? I walk into the centre of a town so vile and run down it makes Barking look nice and ask a woman in a newsagent where I am. Confused she (eventually) answers my question - 'Newport'. Luckily there's a train station, not where the sign says but after 5 minutes I find it and have to pay another £3.40 to get to Cardiff.

Liam Mullone writes on 31st January 2009...

Mangabus v Nashanu Esprezamu

It’s the fight of the year! For I have arrived home safely via Megabus: my first Megabus adventure. I am now in a position to compare the relative merits of Megabus with those of National Express. To anyone with a car, or train fare, this will seem like trying to decide between two piles of parrot poo, but for the sake of anyone as poor and as mobility-retarded as me, I’ll go ahead anyway. I’m awarding shite points: the higher the score, the shitter the service:

First, COMFORT:
Filthiness of toilet: Megabus 5 National Express 3
Poo and bogey smeared on seats: Megabus 3 National Expess 2
Degree of overpopulation with maniacs Megabus 4 National Express 2

As you can see, National Express is streaming ahead with only 7 shite points to Megabus’s 12. The sheer cheapness of Megabus has meant that its services are always teeming, meaning a greater number of people wiping their kids’ bums on the seats. And at £3 a ticket, where is Megabus going to find the cash to pay a toilet cleaner? It’s not. Can Megabus catch up? Exciting isn’t it?

Second, SPEED AND ECONOMY
Expense Megabus 1 National Express 2
Pointless stops at revolting shithole towns where nobody even gets on Megabus 1 National Express 4
Pointless one-hour rest stops at service stations that are three minutes from your intended destination Megabus 1 National Express 5
Tendency to stop dead on the motorway and tell the passengers you’ve run out of petrol Megabus 0 National Express 5

Crikey, what a turn-around!Megabus is holding fast at 15, National Express is racking up the shite points at 23. If they cared, National Express management would surely be wondering whether it’s wise for EVERY bus going north to stop at Milton Fucking Keynes, and whether they need that Health and Safety law that requires them to change drivers every 40 miles, or as soon as he runs out of racist comments (whichever is sooner). Moreover, that little trip to Birmingham last year when the passengers had to offer to pay for petrol has really hit the company hard this round. It’s just a mercy that the management don’t actually give a flying fuck about people, or this scoreboard could really sting. Can National Express turn it round in the last chukka? I, for one, simply cannot WAIT to find out!!

Third, DRIVER’S ATTITUDE
Need to tell people about the seatbelt law 40 times in a series of incomprehensible guttural snorts: Megabus 1 National Express 5
Need to talk to bus full of adults as if they are five and behaving naughtily Megabus 0 National Express 5
Need to swagger about bus imposing will on helpless passengers regarding their luggage, hot food, phones or anything else that occurs to them Megabus 0 National Express 4
Need to scrutinise ticket, shake head, say it’s not compatible with me own list, like, make people at front of queue wait til the bus is full, then make them sit near the toilet Megabus 0 National Express 3

FINAL SHITE POINT SCORES: Megabus 16 National Express 40

Fuck me with an over-sixties Funfare, Megabus has walked home. A lifetime of comments such as “A BOTTLE of POP has just flown past my head. This bus is NOT a skip! I will stop it by the roadside and you can all clean it for me if THAT’S going to be your attitude!” have made National Express the company to avoid for any poor traveller with even a microgram of self-respect remaining. The extraordinary behaviour of Megabus drivers - just getting on, closing the door and driving the fucking bus - has pretty much handed them this competition in a hubcap. An extra mention must surely be made for them not demanding that anything larger than a handbag must go in the luggage hold, where it can be stolen by a junkie in Doncaster.
On the whole, I’ll take the crowds and toilet whiff just for the pleasure of being allowed to pretend, for the first hundred miles anyway, that it’s okay to be on a coach in one’s late thirties. That it’s not demeaning and horrible. And that my faith in humankind won’t be whittled down to a bleeding quick before I face 200 strange faces in the glare of an unforgiving spotlight.

NELL FRIZZELL writes on 28th January 2009...

The Megadeath, The Nazi-onal Express, Cagecoach – they’re all hell on wheels.

As if it wasn’t punishment enough to have to spend five-and-a-half hours sitting in a chair designed for a dwarf amputee, with the person in front leaning so far back they might as well be using my cunt for a cushion, while the person next to me munches through a sandwich that smells like putrefying maggots mixed with cheese and onion crisps, I had the misfortune this weekend of being driven by a total psychopath.

Peter, my Neanderthal National Express driver, was covered in home-drawn tattoos (I didn’t get close enough to read them but I imagine they said stuff like “Live by the road, die by the road”), walked with the kind of limp usually reserved for shell shock victims, drove like a blind man and had a voice like a drain full of tar. When he breathed, it was like a hydraulic engine full of soup.

He steered like someone had just poured molten Marmite on his lap. Which was ironic, really, because as soon as the other driver had taken over, Peter promptly spilt his garage-bought coffee all over his legs and spent the rest of the journey loudly and obscenely rubbing his crotch and arse with a tissue right at my eye level, wheezing on about how “everything is sticking to me legs now”.

When the new driver asked Peter why he hadn’t turned his lights on (so we had, in effect, been driving like an invisible 5 tonne stealth juggernaut since Golders Green) he mumbled that he’d spent ages scrabbling around but just couldn’t find the switch. Oh great.

By this point I, and several other passengers, were muttering low, whimpered prayers to the effect that God was indeed great for sparing us a bloody and painful death in the middle lane of the M1.

Now, if this was an isolated event it would be one thing. But the coaches of Britain are, almost universally, like Dante’s lost circle of hell. The toilets never close, so the smell of stagnant piss permeates everywhere, anyone over five foot tall will end up welding their joints together from sitting like Quasimodo, and they are miserably, grindingly slow and you usually get dribbled on by the person sleeping next to you.

I’m not saying murder is right or anything - I’ve never yet had the urge to saw off someone’s head and eat it - but I can sort of see why people are driven to acts of wild and animalistic violence during these journeys (if you never want to sleep happily again, then read this).

And as Britain’s economy sinks and the recession hits Britain, you can be sure many of us will soon be Megabus customers. I’m going to go and write my will.

NELL FRIZZELL

2009-01-14T18:30:00.002Z

The Slough and Langley Observer reports on 7th January 2009...

Lucky escape for trainee driver as bus smashes into tree

A TRAINEE bus driver ended a lesson in disastrous style after smashing his vehicle into a tree.

The National Express trainee, who has not been named, was taking part in a lesson with a trainer at the company's training site off Wexham Road when he lost control and collided with the tree.

Firefighters and police arrived at the scene shortly after 12pm today (Wednesday) and temporarily closed the road off as a precaution.

A spokeswoman for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue said: “A pump from Langley attended the scene at 12.05pm after there were reports of heavy fuel spillage. No other vehicles were involved in the collision and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was made safe by the crew within 40 minutes.”

A spokeswoman for National Express added: "An incident occurred today involving a trainee vehicle. There were no passengers on board and we have launched an internal investigation.”

Ron Broxted is rather slow off the mark but writes on 7th January 2009...

It was in October last year that I had the misfortune to have to travel by National Express coach from London to Liverpool. Being skint I couldnt afford a train and thus at Noon stood in line to ascend the bus. Carrying an overnight bag, I went to get on. The driver grabbed it, I automatically pulled it back, explaining that it was fragile. "Tough" the driver said throwing it in the hold. It was against regulations to have a bag inside. Yet there was no problem before. Enquiring who National Express used as solicitors brought forward a fairly sharp retort. Before starting the coach we had to listen as the driver said everyone must be wearing safety belts. In almost half a century I have managed to sit in a cramped coach without incident. Yet more rules and regulations. What is it about the British psyche? Would the rest of Europe be so bovine? Upon reaching Liverpool I discovered a damaged camera,antique clock and optical equpiment. I received a brief reply from National Express but nothing further. News that there are to be lay-offs amongst staff has not reduced me to a lachrymose state.

2009-01-01T18:26:00.002Z

The Evening Post - Nottingham reports on 1st January 2009...

Gran's lost luggage hell over Christmas

A GRANDMOTHER was left without any clothes or presents over Christmas after her suitcase was taken by mistake.

Rachel Sabin was travelling from Nottingham to Manchester on December 23 when her suitcase – containing clothes, presents from her family and presents for her friends – was mistakenly taken from the coach.

Rachel discovered the suitcase had been taken when she arrived in Manchester. This was eventually traced back to a couple who had taken the wrong luggage in Chesterfield.

But despite the couple contacting Rachel, of Lauriston Drive, Basford, the next day to tell her they had put the suitcase back on a coach at Sheffield to be returned to her in Manchester, she still has not got it back.

"I'm absolutely mortified," said the 42-year-old grandmother of two.
Click here!

"I have got no clothes and nothing. All I had was the clothes that I stood up in.

"I'm not working at the moment so I had to go to charity shops to get new clothes."

Rachel said she was also unable to speak to her grandchildren – aged two and four months – over Christmas, because her mobile phone charger was also in the suitcase.

Rachel was travelling on the National Express service to Manchester to stay with friends for Christmas and was planning to go from there to Leeds to celebrate the New Year – but is still unsure if she will get her luggage back in time.

She said National Express contacted her on Christmas Eve to say they were unable to confirm whether her luggage would be on the coach because they couldn't get hold of her driver, who had actually taken over the coach at Nottingham after the scheduled coach had a burst tyre en route to Nottingham.

Rachel added: "At first I wasn't too worried, I thought 'these things happen' and someone has taken it off at Chesterfield.

"But National Express couldn't even tell me if was going to be there on Christmas Eve because they said they couldn't get hold of the driver.

"When I told them it would cost me a lot of money to get into Manchester to get it I thought they would courier it over, but they said there was nothing they could do and I would have to wait until after Christmas.

"It ruined my Christmas and now I'm worried that I won't get it back."

A spokesperson from National Express said: "We received a record of Miss Sabin's lost luggage on December 24 and are currently investigating. We have a dedicated team who work to reunite customers with their left and lost luggage and will be in touch with Miss Sabin."

2008-12-13T10:40:00.002Z

Most of the press this week has been concerned with David Ross, the National Express Chairman, who did not inform the rest of the board he had used his shares in the business as security for a multi-million pound loan.

Rather than copy/paste the enormous press coverage that this scandal has generated, Salsabil will just post one story to outline the end of his role with National Express.

The Guardian reports on 9th December 2008...

David Ross resigns from Olympics panel and National Express board
Boris Johnson's administration rocked by fifth resignation since election as Tory donor resigns from Games committee

The embattled businessman David Ross has resigned from his post as chairman of bus company National Express, just hours after giving up his role on the 2012 Olympics organising committee.

The co-founder of Carphone Warehouse and a well-known Tory donor was forced to give up his role at the transport company after admitting on Monday he forgot to inform the rest of the board he had used his shares in the business as security for a multi-million pound loan.

Richard Bowker, the company's chief executive, said Ross had "made a significant and positive contribution" to the business since he joined in 2001.

But his position at the company had become increasingly untenable after it emerged over the weekend he had used his shares in National Express and three other companies as security for a series of personal loans and forgotten to inform his fellow directors of his actions.

On Monday, Ross resigned as deputy chairman of Carphone Warehouse, Europe's leading independent mobile phone retailer, which he helped found with his schoolfriend Charles Dunstone, after admitting he had used his stake in the business to back up a series of personal loans.

Under stock exchange rules he should have informed the rest of the board of his actions, which date back as far as March 2006.

The Financial Services Authority is currently investigating and has the power to impose a massive financial penalty on Ross, who was recently ranked as the UK's 87th richest person with a personal fortune of almost £900m.

Ross is also a significant supporter of the Conservative party and was appointed by London's mayor, Boris Johnson, as an adviser on the long-term impact of the 2012 Olympics.

But earlier today, Ross quit bringing the tally of Johnson's aides who have resigned or been sacked to five since he became mayor of London on May 1.
Ross informed both Johnson and Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, of his decision to quit in an email.

He wrote: "I reach this decision with sadness, as I have very much enjoyed making this contribution to British sport, which has been a lifelong passion. However, given the present circumstances, and while they are not connected to the Olympics, I must now devote my full attention to my private business interests.

"I also do not wish to distract others from the important work still to do in making 2012 the success I know it will be."

Johnson personally selected Ross, who has links to David Cameron, to represent him on the board of the Olympic organising committee to ensure the 2012 games are delivered within the £9.3bn budget.

Johnson's spokesman confirmed the mayor had "reluctantly accepted" Ross's resignation from the Board of Locog, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, and as chair of the Legacy Board of Advisers.

Johnson described Ross's decision to go as a "loss". The Conservative mayor said: "I am particularly grateful to him for identifying serious issues with the 2012 Olympic Games that needed to be urgently addressed. His report into planning the delivery of the legacy of the games helped the entire Olympic family to focus on a range of pressing concerns, including security, budget and legacy.

"I chose David Ross for his track record in establishing a hugely successful business and for his work on the boards of Sport England, Wembley stadium and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. He had also clearly impressed the government with his work on the review into the legal aid system and I am immensely grateful for all his advice to me. I wish him well in the future."

Jowell told MPs of Ross's resignation as she gave evidence in a prescheduled session on the Olympics held by the Commons culture, media and sport select committee earlier today.

She informed the panel of MPs Ross had resigned from all of his "Olympic-related positions" before paying tribute to his contribution to the games.

Jowell said: "I would like to place on record my gratitude and recognition of the significant role he has played in relation to the Olympic lottery distributor and setting up legacy planning for the Olympic park."

2008-12-06T20:29:00.002Z

Daily Mail reports on 4th December 2008...

Traffic lights were faulty, says grieving husband after wife is crushed by coach

A grieving husband left distraught after the death of his wife on a pedestrian crossing launched a one-man fight to prove the traffic lights were faulty, an inquest heard yesterday.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, was killed when she ran out while the red man showed.

But her widower, Leo, became convinced that pedestrians were not given enough time to cross the road, he hired a private detective to prove it.

His investigation found that the traffic lights gave pedestrians as little as five seconds to cross a three-lane junction. Department for Transport guidelines recommend a minimum 12-second time gap to allow for safe crossing.

Yesterday an inquest into Mrs Iravanian's death heard that she was crushed by a National Express coach when she ran into the road and slipped over at a busy junction.

The Hungarian-born solicitor died of multiple injuries on February 23 last year on her way to work as a paralegal secretary.

Mr Iravanian, a 43-year-old estate agent, has battled for one and a half years with Transport for London (TFL), which is responsible for the traffic signals at a major crossroads near Victoria Station, in central London.

TFL engineer Mark Beasley admitted that the timings of the lights did not comply with current safety standards. When the signal system was put in place in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Mr Beasley said: 'There was a lack of funding so lights were not modernised as quickly as we would have hoped. There has been a slippage of five to 10 years before TFL took over in 2000.'

Independent civil engineer Steven Hall, who works for road safety specialists Morgan Tucker, said pedestrians were in danger if they crossed while the green man was showing.

He said: 'No matter when you cross on the green phase there should be sufficient time to reach the other side - even on the last second, even for slow pedestrians. Five seconds was not enough.'

When the signal system was put in place in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Coroner Paul Knapman asked Mr Beasley: 'Couldn't the timings have been changed at any time since TFL took over?'

'They could have been,' Mr Beasley said.

The inquest also heard how lights at the busy junction had become twisted causing potential confusion to pedestrians.

Witnesses described how Mrs Iravanian had run out while a red man light was showing.

One witness, Miles Cresswell-Turner described how she hesitated at a traffic island before running and falling.

Mr Cresswell-Turner said: 'She had a "do I or don't I" moment... on crossing she slipped and I thought "she's going to die"... it was impossible for the driver to stop.'

The coach was travelling at 29mph when it struck Mrs Iravanian, police said.

The junction of Grosvenor Gardens has had its timing increased since the accident and complete changes to the crossroads are planned.

The verdict is expected today.

Hampstead and Highgate Express reports on 4th December 2008...

Husband's anger after Suburb wife dies under wheels of bus

A HUSBAND kissed his wife goodbye and watched in horror as she died under the wheels of a bus, an inquest heard this week.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, of Willifield Way, was struck by a National Express coach as she crossed Grosvenor Gardens in Victoria last February and died of multiple injuries.

A coroner this week recorded a narrative verdict on her death.

Born in Hungary, Ms Iravanian moved to the UK in 1993 to work as a nanny. She changed jobs several times before studying hard to become a solicitor which she had been doing for three months before she died.

Her husband Leo waved goodbye to her less than a minute before she was killed.

He said: "I am really angry that my wife is gone and nothing is going to bring her back. She was a very special lady and a wonderful wife.

"She loved helping charities and reading and she was extremely organised. She started studying law which she loved and often stayed up until three o'clock in the morning working hard.

"She loved life. I miss her a lot, all the time, she was so special to me."

Ms Iravanian made it safely across to the traffic island in the middle of the road but was struck by the bus, travelling at an estimated 29mph, as she tried to reach the pavement on the other side.

The jury inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court highlighted serious issues at the crossing, but witnesses said better safety wouldn't have saved Ms Iravanian.

The court was told there was a gap of only five seconds after the green pedestrian man went off and the amber light came on signalling traffic to go - below Department for Transport regulations of a 12 second minimum.

The jury also heard on the day of Ms Iravanian's death the traffic signal for vehicles turning right had been dislodged and was facing pedestrians - causing confusion about when to cross.

After the accident a police officer remained at the junction all day until the lights could be realigned and said many people had to be stopped from crossing on the wrong signal.

However, witnesses said Ms Iravanian was killed because she crossed when it was clear she shouldn't, not because of the problems on the junction.

They said Ms Iravanian had attempted to cross the two-lane road when the pedestrian man was on red.

One of them was Miles Cresswell-Turner, a cyclist on his way to work.

He said: "I could see her looking to her left and as she reached the island she stopped as a car passed in front of her.

"She swayed from stopping and I could see from the expression on her face that she was deciding whether or not to continue crossing the road.

"At that moment she ran across the first lane and now I think to myself that is a close call and she might not make it.

"I could see the approaching bus which I must say wasn't travelling very fast. As she reached the second lane she slipped on the wet surface and I straight away thought to myself oh no, she's going to die.

"It was impossible for the driver to stop in time. I remember looking at the pedestrian lights and could see the red man showing."

But Mr Iravanian believes his wife was misled by the lights.

Outside court he said: "I am convinced she looked at the lights and got confused because they were in the wrong place."

TfL engineer Mark Beasley admitted that the timings of the lights did not comply with safety standards.

In October last year Transport for London changed the crossing timings and installed a smaller traffic light box in the right hand lane to stop it being so easily dislodged.

TfL have now pledged to completely modernise the crossing and change the layout of the road once funding becomes available.

Daily Telegraph reports on 3rd December 2008...

Woman died at crossing that only gave pedestrians five seconds
A woman was run over by a coach and died after trying to cross at a pedestrian crossing which gave people as little as five seconds to make it over, an inquest heard.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, was killed when she ran out into the busy three-lane road while the red man showed.

Her widower Leo, 43, found the lights near Victoria Station in London sometimes gave pedestrians less than half the 12 seconds to cross recommended by the Department for Transport.

Mrs Iravanian, a paralegal secretary, died of multiple injures after slipping while crossing the road at Grosvenor Gardens on February 23 last year.

Witness Miles Cresswell-Turner said she had a "Do I or don't I?" moment.

He added: "On crossing she slipped and I thought 'She's going to die". It was impossible for the driver to stop."

The National Express coach was travelling at 29mph when it struck her, police said.

An inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Transport for London (TfL) admitted the junction did not comply with current safety standards.

Coroner Paul Knapman asked Mark Beasley, a TfL engineer: "Couldn't the timings have been changed at any time since TfL took over?"

Mr Beasley replied: "They could have been."

When the signal system was installed in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest heard.

TfL was planning on modernising the crossing, said Mr Beasley, but he said a project to modernise 5,000 lights across the capital had slipped by five to 10 years because of a "lack of funding".

Steven Hall, an independent civil engineer and road safety specialist, said: "No matter when you cross on the green phase there should be sufficient time to reach the other side - even on the last second, even for slow pedestrians. Five seconds was not enough."

Timings at the crossing were changed after Mrs Iravanian's death.

The inquest continues.

2008-11-29T18:24:00.002Z

Michael Legge blogs on 29th November 2008...

On the same day as my religious experience I travelled upon a National Express coach, surely all the proof we need that there is no God. It was cramped, it was smelly and everyone on it looked odd. It was like they hadn't quite formed yet. The worst one was the driver who had tattoos of skulls on fire and a woman with blood coming out of her tit on one arm and on the other just one that said I Miss You, Mum. What a tribute. She must have been lovely. Not only did he look bizarre but he sang the whole fucking way to Leicester constantly turning to a passenger near him and saying "Don't you know that one?" Of course she doesn't know that one. No one knows that one because the words and tunes coming out of your broken mouth have never been put in that spastic an order before. More annoying than him was the lady sitting in front of me who not only shouted while using her phone but put it on speaker-phone so we could all hear the other shouting prick she was talking to. Once again it was up to me to ask her to speak a little quieter but all she did was give me information that I already knew. She said "You don't even know me", which is true but irrelevant and after three times of asking her to be quiet and her saying that, I finally said "Yes, I do know you. You're that annoying fucker on the bus" which made some people near me laugh out loud. She hung up, put her phone on vibrate and never answered it again for the rest of the journey. I hate the bus but I hate the bus because people who go on buses are cunts. If they'd just stick them in the same asylum as religious people I might start to get a bit happier. Hey-Ho.

The Press and Journal of Aberdeen reports on 27th November 2008...

driver sentenced
Safety of coach passengers

Published: 27/11/2008

THE carefully-crafted words of National Express Group chief executive Richard Bowker following the jailing of driver Philip Rooney look rather hollow when set alongside the full circumstances of the crash which killed three people on a London to Aberdeen coach in January last year.

Mr Bowker, in a statement bearing all the hallmarks of having been put together by a public-relations adviser specialising in damage limitation, expressed condolences to relatives of the dead and injured, thanked the emergency services for their help and stressed the importance the company placed on safety. It ended, predictably, with the “lessons will be learned” promise.

We have no doubt that Mr Bowker’s regret is entirely sincere and that the company will, indeed, review its safety procedures in the light of the incident and the remarks of the judge who yesterday sentenced Rooney to five years in jail.

What the families and public would like to know, however, is why Rooney was on the road in the first place, at the wheel of a coach carrying nearly 70 people on a journey covering more than 500 miles, almost exclusively of motorway and dual carriageway. For a start, he had five convictions for speeding and, although they were while driving private cars, they demonstrate a total lack of regard for motoring laws and, crucially, road safety.

If that were not bad enough, Rooney had also previously been warned by his employer for disabling a speed limiter on his vehicle so that he could drive faster. And in a touch of supreme, tragic irony, at the time of the accident he was taking a bend too fast while broadcasting over the vehicle loudspeaker system. None of these is the action of a man personifying his company’s commitment to the safety of its passengers.

The Times reports on 27th November 2008...

Coach driver jailed for fatal crash on motorway

A National Express bus driver was sentenced to five years in prison after causing an accident in which three passengers were killed. Philip Rooney, 49, was driving at 55mph around a bend with a 40mph speed limit and giving a safety announcement when he lost control of the vehicle, Oxford Crown Court was told. One passenger said that Rooney was driving like he was “possessed” before the crash, on the M25/M4 sliproad in January last year.

Rooney, of Carluke, South Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for three years.

* Have your say

Some time ago, I was on a NE coach tail-gating at speed up the M1. The driver was in a foul mood (refusing requests to switch on the air-con on what was a hot day). I reported all this to NE after this crash, but apart from ringing once when I was out, NE never followed up, despite my calls.

steve moxon, Sheffield,

Daily Record - Scotland reports on 27th November 2008...

Fury as five previous speeding raps of Scots driver jailed for fatal coach smash are revealed

A BUS driver who caused the death of three passengers had FIVE previous convictions for speeding, it was revealed yesterday.

Details of Philip Rooney's record were revealed as he was jailed for five years.

The family of one of the victims said they were amazed Rooney had been allowed to continue driving.

Christina Toner died on the National Express coach which skidded on to its side after Rooney lost control on January 3, 2007.

Her daughter, Gail Light, said: "I have been feeling guilty for feeling sorry for the man but the evidence I heard today changed my mind."

Gail's husband Matt added: "We were surprised National Express would employ someone with that level of convictions."

Rooney had also been in trouble with his company for tampering with a speed-limiter on a bus.

Rooney, 49, of Carluke, Lanarkshire, admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The dad-of-three was speaking over the bus's intercom and doing 55mph on a 40mph bend when the accident happened on the M4/M25 slip road near Heathrow airport.

Oxford Crown Court heard Rooney was driving like he was "possessed" and also "going like the clappers" before the crash.

He was probably trying to make up for lost time following a delay caused by a luggage problem.

Many of those on the overnight London to Aberdeen service had to be cut from the wreckage.

Christina, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Chinese national Yi Di Lin died just after the crash. John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died months later in hospital.

Another 65 people were injured, including four who had to have amputations.

Rooney had been driving coaches for 15 years. The court heard Rooney, with a co-driver, had set off from Victoria bus station in London in the new 82-seater bus just after 10.30pm .

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said tachograph readings showed that he consistently broke speed limits as the coach went to pick up again at Heathrow airport.

His driving caused luggage to fall from the shelf as he took a corner and the vehicle clipped a kerb.

A lot of passengers were returning home from Christmas holidays and the coach was heavily laden.

Rooney had to call a taxi to transport one family's luggage because there was no room - causing a 30-minute delay.

Mr Latham said: "A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time."

The coach clipped a barrier and Rooney tried to correct its path but lost control.

The double-decker skidded and began travelling sideways before striking a crash barrier and flipping over. Seconds before the crash, Rooney had been giving a safety announcement.

Passengers recalled hearing screams and the microphone crackling before his voice stopped. One said: "After Heathrow, the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

Among the victims on the coach was an Albanian woman, Samia Berbiche, who was with her three-year-old son and eight-month-old daughter.

She lost part of her right leg, her son lost part of his right leg and lower left arm, and her daughter lost one of her lower legs.

Mohammed Khamisa QC, defending Rooney, said he was an experienced driver and a hardworking family man who drove in excess of 1000 miles a week in his job.

He offered his "heart felt apologies" to those who lost loved ones or who were injured.

He added: "He has been very traumatised by the enormity of the incident. The events have crushed him and continue to haunt him."

He said Rooney had helped the injured at the scene despite being hurt himself. Rooney has suffered post-traumatic stress.

Judge Mr Justice Gross also banned Rooney from driving for three years and ordered him to take an extended driving test before he was allowed back on the road again.

The Guardian reports on 27th November 2008...

Coach driver jailed over Heathrow death crash

A coach driver who caused a crash near Heathrow which killed three people and injured more than 60 others was jailed yesterday for five years.

Philip Rooney, 49, was making a public safety announcement over the vehicle's public address system while speeding round a bend when the crash happened.

The double-decker National Express coach, carrying 69 passengers, overturned and skidded along on its side on the M4/M25 slip road near the airport.

Rooney was trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph when he lost control. He was driving like he was "possessed" - probably in an attempt to make up for lost time following a delay caused by a luggage problem, Oxford crown court was told.

Many of those on the overnight London to Aberdeen service had to be cut from the wreckage on January 3 last year.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and Yi Di Lin, 30, a Chinese national, died following the crash. John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later.

Another 65 people were injured, including four who had to have amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.

The victims included an Albanian woman, Samia Berbiche. Berbiche lost part of her right leg, her three-year-old son lost part of his right leg and lower left arm, and her eight-month-old daughter lost one of her lower legs.

Rooney, a father of three from Carluke in Lanarkshire, was jailed for five years and banned from driving for three years after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He was also ordered to take an extended driving test.

Rooney, who had been driving coaches for 15 years, had been caught speeding in passenger vehicles on five occasions.

He was also disciplined by his employer in December 2004 for tampering with a speed limiter so he could drive faster.

Following the sentence, Toner's family said they were astonished that Rooney was allowed to keep his job after his previous speeding convictions.

"We were surprised that somebody would employ someone with that level of convictions in a public service," said her son-in-law Matt Light.

The court heard that the coach had been delayed by an hour and a half after Rooney had to call a taxi to transport one family's luggage because there was no room in the heavily laden vehicle.

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said: "A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time."

One passenger said: "After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

Mohammed Khamisa QC, defending, said Rooney had offered his "heartfelt apologies" to those who lost loved ones or who were injured.

He added: "The events have crushed him and continue to haunt him."

natural yogurt blogs on 27th November 2008...

Five years for causing death by dangerous driving

After a very long wait the case concerning Philip Rooney, the driver whose double-decker National Express coach flipped onto its side and skidded along the M4 slip road off the M25 near Heathrow Airport on January 3 last year, has come to a close. The story in the Telegraph reads...

Coach driver 'giving safety talk when he crashed'
A coach driver responsible for a crash which killed three passengers and injured dozens of others was giving a safety talk as he took a corner too fast and lost control, a court heard. Philip Rooney, 49, was speaking over the vehicle's tannoy system while trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph. Terrified passengers recalled hearing screams and the microphone crackling before the voice stopped.

The double-decker National Express coach flipped onto its side and skidded along the M4 slip road off the M25 near Heathrow Airport on January 3 last year. The damage to the vehicle was so great that many of the 69 passengers on board had to be cut out of the wreckage.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died in the crash, while John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later in hospital. A further 65 people were injured, including four who needed amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.

Oxford Crown Court heard how Rooney, from Carluke in Scotland, was driving as though he was "possessed". The father-of-three, who pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, was jailed for five years and disqualified from driving for three years.

The court heard that Rooney set off from Victoria bus station in central London, bound for Aberdeen, in the almost new 82-seater vehicle just after 10.30pm. Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said he consistently broke speed limits as he made his way to the next pick-up point at Heathrow Airport. Luggage fell from the shelf as Rooney took corners too fast and the vehicle clipped a kerb coming into the airport, the court heard. There was a delay of half an hour as Rooney sorted out a problem with the luggage before leaving Heathrow. Mr Latham said: "A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time." One passenger account said: "After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

As the coach made its way towards a bend in the slip road for the M25, it was travelling at 55mph - 15mph above the speed limit - the court heard. The vehicle clipped a barrier and as Rooney tried to steer the right path he lost control, skidding sideways before striking a crash barrier and flipping over. The court was told that a number of passengers recalled that, in the seconds before the crash, the driver had been giving a safety announcement over the public address system.

Rooney, who had been driving coaches for 15 years, had previously been caught speeding in passenger vehicles on five occasions and been disciplined by his employer for tampering with a speed limiter on his vehicle so he could drive faster.

After sentencing, Mrs Toner's daughter Gail Light said she was astonished to hear about Rooney's driving record. She said: "I have been feeling guilty for feeling sorry for the man but the evidence I heard changed my mind on that because of the previous convictions he had for speeding."

...Okay, so that was the outcome of the court case, now what can natural yogurt say about it?

I think that justice has been done and the custodial sentence of 5 years is the right one in this case. On 2nd November 2007 Scott Easton a van driver was jailed for seven years after killing a Tyneside family of four in a crash in North Yorkshire. He had pleaded guilty just like Philip. What was in my opinion incredibly lenient was the case of Anne Foster-Chia , who was jailed for two years after killing an 80-year-old pedestrian while trying to answer her mobile phone. Foster-Chia, who was on her way to collect her disabled son, was seen moments earlier cradling the phone in her neck. She was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and banned from driving for two years. Judge Robert Moore said he would have been more lenient had she accepted her guilt. He said: "You told the police, jury and presumably yourself, and repeated to me that you knocked the phone to the floor. The jury disbelieved you and so do I. " There is no doubt the phone rang. It was your joiner, although you thought it was the school."

The accident happened in Sheffield in December 2005. Michael Slater, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court: "The defendant failed to stop and give way because she was paying more attention to her telephone rather than keeping a proper look-out for the traffic conditions unfolding in front of her."

What was Philip doing driving along at 55mph whilst talking on the microphone? This is the actions of a cowboy. We all know that men cannot multitask and the only time to use the microphone on a coach is when the Park Brake is applied. Also this accident happened a long way from Heathrow airport so it is safe to assume that his safety announcement was one of those weary, long winded speeches that I find a total embarrassment. There are some drivers on the National Express network who drone on and on with the microphone in their so-called safety announcement whilst driving along. As this case proves, this microphone use can become dangerous. All safety announcements should be made whilst stationary, they should be short. Tell the passengers where the coach is going, that seat belts must be worn, the location of emergency exits and the toilet. Anything more is driver vanity. The same applies to coach stops, when parked simply announce the current location.

We all know that most driver announcements are ignored by the passengers. It is not just on coaches but on planes too . If the passengers are not talking amongst themselves, they are listening to personal stereos or droning into mobile phones for minutes on end. However, all National Express coaches display the seat belt pictograms on the windows to inform passengers that they must wear a seat belt.

Luggage is a problem on double decker coaches and National Express have been aware of this for a long time. This is not a problem for the driver because he can bounce the problem to Service Support who will resolve the issue. The terms and conditions clearly states that each passenger can bring 2 medium size suitcases. So the coach departs Heathrow 30 minutes late, it is no big deal. At £7 an hour that means that Philip was looking at another £3.50 in his wage packet. The driver is on the sharp end of the coach and to put your own safety at risk by cornering fast is foolish.

The CCTV images from inside the coach were not made public but I cannot see how anyone could have been killed if they were wearing their seat belt. As I wrote in this blog on 6th January 2007 ...

I do not believe that the deaths and injuries sustained would have happened had all the passengers been wearing their seatbelts. The photographs in the press of the coach show relatively little damage to the outside body of the coach. A broken mirror and windows should not lead to the death of 2 passengers and amputation of limbs.

...So there you have it. I believe that Philip Rooney has caused death by dangerous driving. It was his own fault, he was right to plead guilty and his sentence of 5 years was right. Sadly if all the passengers had warn their seat belts then those deaths and injuries would have been avoided. Looking back at the case of Scott Easton who got 7 years after pleading guilty to killing 4 people, Philip who also pleaded guilty, was given a discount of 2 years because of the seat belt issue. This seems fair in the circumstances and I believe that justice has finally been done.

Remember, you have only one chance to get it right. You can never get the time back and we are all paid by the hour to do the best of a bad job. Always make a safety announcement but only when stationary.

The Independent reports on 26th November 2008...

Death crash driver 'made announcement while speeding on bend'

A National Express coach driver caused a terrifying crash which killed three passengers and injured dozens of others as he gave a safety announcement while speeding around a bend, a court heard today.

Philip Rooney, 49, was speaking over the vehicle's public address system while trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph when he lost control.

It caused the double-decker coach, carrying 69 passengers, to overturn and skid along its side on the M4/M25 slip road near Heathrow Airport.

Rooney was driving like he was "possessed" before the crash - probably in a bid to make up for lost time following a delay caused by a luggage problem, a judge was told.

Many of those on the overnight London to Aberdeen service had to be cut from the wreckage on 3 January last year.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died following the crash.

John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later in hospital.

Another 65 people were injured, including four who had to have amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.

Father-of-three Rooney, of Larkshill Drive, Carluke, Scotland, was appearing for sentence at Oxford Crown Court today after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard that Rooney, who had a co-driver, set off from Victoria bus station in central London, bound for Scotland, in the almost new 82-seater vehicle just after 10.30pm on 3 January.

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said tachograph readings showed he consistently broke speed limits as the coach made its way to the next pick-up point at Heathrow Airport.

Rooney's driving caused luggage to fall from the shelf as he took a corner and the vehicle clipped a kerb coming into the airport, said Mr Latham.

A number of passengers were returning home from Christmas holidays and, the court heard, the coach was heavily laden.

Rooney had to call a taxi to transport one family's luggage because there was no room on the coach - causing a delay of more than half an hour before it set off again.

Mr Latham said: "A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time."

The court heard that, as the coach made its way towards the slip road for the M25, there was a warning sign indicating that the maximum speed for the bend should be 40mph.

At the vehicle took the bend it was travelling at 55mph, the tachograph showed.

The coach clipped a barrier and Rooney tried to correct its path by steering away but lost control.

Mr Latham said the vehicle skidded around and began travelling sideways before striking a crash barrier and flipping over.

The court was told that a number of passengers recalled that, in the seconds before the crash, the driver had been giving a safety announcement over the tannoy.

Mr Latham said passengers recalled hearing screams and the microphone crackling before the voice stopped.

Other passenger accounts read to the court by Mr Latham stated that luggage was being dislodged by heavy braking as Rooney sped along.

One said: "After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

Telegraph reports on 26th November 2008...

Coach driver 'giving safety talk when he crashed'
A coach driver responsible for a crash which killed three passengers and injured dozens of others was giving a safety talk as he took a corner too fast and lost control, a court heard.

Philip Rooney, 49, was speaking over the vehicle's tannoy system while trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph.

Terrified passengers recalled hearing screams and the microphone crackling before the voice stopped.

The double-decker National Express coach flipped onto its side and skidded along the M4 slip road off the M25 near Heathrow Airport on January 3 last year.

The damage to the vehicle was so great that many of the 69 passengers on board had to be cut out of the wreckage.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died in the crash, while John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later in hospital.

A further 65 people were injured, including four who needed amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.

Oxford Crown Court heard how Rooney, from Carluke in Scotland, was driving as though he was "possessed".

The father-of-three, who pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, was jailed for five years and disqualified from driving for three years.

The court heard that Rooney set off from Victoria bus station in central London, bound for Aberdeen, in the almost new 82-seater vehicle just after 10.30pm.

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said he consistently broke speed limits as he made his way to the next pick-up point at Heathrow Airport.

Luggage fell from the shelf as Rooney took corners too fast and the vehicle clipped a kerb coming into the airport, the court heard.

There was a delay of half an hour as Rooney sorted out a problem with the luggage before leaving Heathrow.

Mr Latham said: "A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time."

One passenger account said: "After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

As the coach made its way towards a bend in the slip road for the M25, it was travelling at 55mph - 15mph above the speed limit - the court heard.

The vehicle clipped a barrier and as Rooney tried to steer the right path he lost control, skidding sideways before striking a crash barrier and flipping over.

The court was told that a number of passengers recalled that, in the seconds before the crash, the driver had been giving a safety announcement over the public address system.

Rooney, who had been driving coaches for 15 years, had previously been caught speeding in passenger vehicles on five occasions and been disciplined by his employer for tampering with a speed limiter on his vehicle so he could drive faster.

After sentencing, Mrs Toner's daughter Gail Light said she was astonished to hear about Rooney's driving record.

She said: "I have been feeling guilty for feeling sorry for the man but the evidence I heard changed my mind on that because of the previous convictions he had for speeding."

The Times reports on 26th November 2008...

Heathrow death crash coach driver Philip Rooney jailed for 5 years
National Express man Philip Rooney did 55mph on bend while giving safety announcement and 'trying to make up lost time'

A speeding National Express coach driver was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday for causing a fatal motorway accident in which three people were killed and dozens more were left with serious injuries.

Philip Rooney, 49, was driving at 55mph around the bend on the M25/M4 slip road, 15 miles above the recommended speed limit, and was also giving a safety announcement over the tannoy when he lost control of the coach, hitting a safety barrier and causing the vehicle to turn over.

Three people died after the accident, and many of those that were injured had to be cut from the wreckage.

The accident occurred near Heathrow airport on January 3 last year, and many of those on board the overnight service from London to Aberdeen were heading home after the Christmas break.

The court heard that Mr Rooney had been caught speeding in passenger vehicles five times before the accident, and had also been disciplined by his employer in December 2004 for tampering with a device that limits a coach’s speed.

A passenger on the coach said that Mr Rooney was driving like like he was “possessed”, and the vehicle’s tachograph, which records the vehicle's speed, showed the speed limit had been broken on a number of occasions during the journey.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died following the crash. John Carruthers, 78, from Surrey, died six months later in hospital from his injuries.

One family on board, who had to be cut from the wreckage, suffered multiple injuries; Samia Berbiche, from Albania, lost part of her right leg, her three-year-old son lost part of his right leg and lower left arm, and her eight-month-old daughter lost one of her lower legs.

None of the 69 passengers on board escaped unhurt after the double-decker bus clipped a safety barrier, overturned and skid along its side.

The court heard that Rooney tried to correct the coach’s path after first hitting the barrier but the vehicle overturned after he lost control.

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said that Rooney’s driving earlier in the journey had caused luggage to fall from the shelf as the driver tried to make up for their delayed departure.

“A number of passengers noted the vehicle was being driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time,” he said.

One passenger told the court: “After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers.”

The coach, which left London’s Victoria station at 10.30pm, crashed shortly after leaving Heathrow airport. The court heard that Mr Rooney might have been trying to make up for lost time after problems fitting in all the luggage onto the vehicle caused a delayed departure.

A subsequent investigation found that taking the bend at any speed over 45mph would be dangerous and posed a serious risk to the vehicle becoming unstable and the driver losing control.

Mr Rooney's lawyer said his client was "deeply sorry" for the accident.

The father of three, from South Lanarkshire in Scotland, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for three years at Oxford Crown Court.

* Have your say

5 years for causing death on the roads. He should be in prison for at least 30 years. If he had shot and killed someone that would have been his sentence.

Adrian Hilton, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire

2008-11-26T16:08:00.002Z

The Press Association reports on 26th November 2008...

Death crash coach driver jailed

A National Express coach driver who caused a terrifying crash which left three passengers dead while giving a safety announcement as he sped around a bend has been jailed for five years.

Philip Rooney, 49, was speaking over the vehicle's public address system while trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph when he lost control.

Father of three Rooney, of Larkshill Drive, Carluke, Scotland, was also banned from driving for three years at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard the double-decker coach carrying 69 passengers overturned and skidded along on its side on the M4/M25 slip road near Heathrow Airport.

Rooney was driving like he was "possessed" before the crash - probably in a bid to make up for lost time following a delay caused by a luggage problem, a judge was told.

Many of those on the overnight London to Aberdeen service had to be cut from the wreckage on January 3 last year.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died following the crash.

John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later in hospital.

Another 65 people were injured, including four who had to have amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.

BBC News reports on 26th November 2008...

M25 coach death driver is jailed

A coach driver who admitted causing the deaths of three passengers by dangerous driving in a crash near Heathrow Airport has been jailed for five years.

Oxford Crown Court heard that Philip Rooney was making a safety announcement while speeding round a bend when he lost control of the coach.

The London-to-Aberdeen National Express service overturned on the M4/M25 slip road on 3 January 2007.

Rooney, 49, of Lanarkshire, drove like a "possessed" man, the court was told.

Christina Toner, 76, from Monifieth, and Yi Di Lin, 30, a Chinese national, died in the crash while John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died in hospital on 1 July.

Four passengers had to have limbs amputated, while 61 others were injured. Many had to be cut from the wreckage by emergency services.

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said the driver, from Carluke, kept breaking speed limits, as evident in the tachograph readings, as he left Victoria coach station for Heathrow.

Rooney's driving and heavy braking of the double-decker bus caused bags to fall off the luggage shelf, passengers said.

The court heard Rooney was delayed for half-an-hour when one family's luggage could not fit into the coach and he had to call a taxi to carry it.

As he reached the slip road for the M25, Rooney ignored the 40mph speed limit and was driving at 55mph.

Mr Latham said passengers noted the bus was being "driven significantly faster, as if the driver was seeking to make up for lost time".

When the bus clipped a barrier after leaving Heathrow the driver lost control resulting in the bus skidding and travelling sideways before striking a crash barrier and overturning.

One passenger had said: "After Heathrow the driver drove like he was possessed. He kept overtaking everything and going like the clappers."

Referring to the extent of injuries Mr Latham gave the example of Samia Berbiche, an Albanian national, who was with her three-year-old son and eight-month-old daughter.

In the crash she lost part of her right leg, her son lost part of his right leg and lower left arm, and her baby daughter lost one of her lower legs.

During an earlier hearing the court that Rooney had been caught speeding in passenger vehicles on five other occasions.

He was also disciplined by his employer in December 2004 for tampering with a speed limiter on his vehicle so he could drive faster.

Oxford Crown Court also banned the father-of-three from driving for three years.

2008-11-25T11:55:00.002Z

Daily Record reports on 25th November 2008...

Fury of bus smash victim's family after driver works as trucker while awaiting trial.

A BUS driver who killed three people in a horror crash was allowed to work as a trucker while awaiting trial.

Philip Rooney, 49, was taken on as a driver for a dairy near his home in Lanarkshire, it emerged yesterday.

Last night, the husband of one of the victims of the crash, Dundee gran Chris Toner, said he was "amazed" at the news.

Rooney had at first denied any blame for the crash which killed Chris, 76, and two other people near Heathrow airport in January 2007.

But last month, just days before the trial was due to start, he admitted causing the deaths by dangerous driving.

Rooney, who was sacked by National Express after the crash, will be sentenced tomorrow at Oxford Crown Court.

The father of one, from Carluke, has been warned he faces a substantial jail term.

Jimmy Toner, 84, from Monifieth, near Dundee, said: "I would have thought he'd have been banned until they sorted it all out. But the law is the law and we have to abide by whatever decision is made."

A police source said: "You might think there's no way someone like this should be working as a driver.

"But in the case of a truck or van driver, there's nothing to stop it unless a judge makes it a condition of his bail."

At the interview for the driving job at Quothquan Farms Dairy, Rooney moaned he was "innocent until proven guilty".

Transport manager Bob Mooney said yesterday he gave him the benefit of the doubt - and added: "If I'd known he was going to plead guilty, it would have changed things. "

More than 30 people, mostly Scots, were taken to hospital, several of them seriously injured, after Rooney crashed the London to Aberdeen coach on an M25 slip road.

UK 1884 blogs on 24th November 2008...

National Express..Wins-British Tax-payers-Lose Again all round!

Immigration ‘heaven’ for National Express at London’s Victoria Coach Station…

* But Hell for British people during the worst credit crisis in history as National Express creams off vast profits from the British taxpayer

On any day of the week at London’s Victoria Coach Station an invasion of staggering proportions is taking place and the only benefactor is National Express, creaming off millions each year from the long suffering British taxpayer.

Over two dozen times in the last year, News Alliance investigators have travelled on several different coaches from London Victoria Coach Station to different parts of the country. On each coach, particularly at peak times, half of the ‘passengers’ are immigrants being redistributed to relocation centres around the country.

The cost to the British taxpayer runs into millions of pounds for the cost of subsidised travel tickets to relocation centres around the UK and National Express is the only winner, financially.

But the rest of the nation, particularly the indigenous population, has to pay not just a heavy price in terms of subsidised travel tickets but an even greater strain and burden on public-funded resources. The British taxpayer is being screwed both ways by the corrupt New Labour regime and only a General Election will stop this outrageous waste of money.

News Alliance contacted National Express to ascertain if any figures have been collated to show the number of immigrants carried in one year on National Express coaches. But in a fashion so typical of modern ‘Britain’, we were told “no such figures exist and have never been collected by National Express. We operate an equal opportunites policy and collecting the figures you mention could be seen as racist and damage the image of the company.”

Even transport companies under the spell the New Labour regime have adopted the ‘policies’ of the Marxist thought police who have transformed the art of political lying into a commonplace professional practice.

Of course, the denial of National Express that such figures are kept and they would have no idea how to collect such figures is another symptom of the spread of professional lying. There is no doubt that National Express has exact figures for the numbers of immigrants using subsidised tickets to travel on coaches around the country.

The Home Office and the Treasury pick up the bill on ‘behalf’ of the British taxpayer and all costs incurred for subsidised tickets are then paid each quarter to National Express. This is a simple fact of basic economics but the ongoing credit crisis proves that New Labour has no idea how to manage what is left of the ‘British’ branch of the collapsing global economy.

Having received no joy from National Express employees at London Victoria, and having telephoned the head office in Birmingham to be greeted with another bucket of pig-swill, we set off for the Passport and Immigration Service office on Belgrave Road in Pimlico.

We were told in no uncertain terms by ‘foreign-born’ employees at the office that if we attempted to take any photographs of the building we would be “arrested under anti-terror laws”. We explained that the building is paid for by the British taxpayer and is a public place and no law in England prevents an individual from taking photographs in a public place.

We refused not to take photographs of the building and went outside to take photographs whereupon the foreign-born security guards from the Far East, called on other security teams to call the Metropolitan political police to come and arrest us.

Having made our point for the day we retired to a safe distance and determined to return at a later date with long-range telephoto lenses to put the building under daytime surveillance to determine what the Passport and Immigration Service has to hide?

Once this operation has been carried out, we will publish the details of what we uncover together with the entire surveillance product in the public interest. We also intend to send in undercover activists wearing concealed pinhole cameras to ascertain why such secrecy is required….

The message that comes out of this latest engagement against the bent forces of HMG and its army of foreign employees is that they can watch us 24 hours a day but we cannot and must never be allowed to watch them.

Together with the wretched money-making scam that is National Express [immigrant] coach ’services’, yesterday proved to be a thoroughly productive day on the frontline against the Police State and its crooked economic assets.

We have also advised the British National Party’s Richard Barnbrook of our investigation so that he can raise the matter on behald of Londoners in the GLA.
Hat Tip News-Alliance

Martin Ferguson blogs on 20th November 2008...

Stop the bus?

There is a nasty myth that Scotsmen are tight [with money].

You’ve probably heard the yarns: copper wire was invented by two Aberdonians fighting over a penny; Jock McTavish dropped a 20p, bent down to pick it up and it hit him on the back of the head. And so on.

I am Scottish. And while I wouldn’t consider myself a tight-arse with cash, I do like a bargain.

Whenever I travel north from London (where I work) to Glasgow or Manchester I fly or take the train. But unless you book years in advance, both can be pricey excursions.

However, this week I was lured by an £8 National Express bus fare from London Victoria to Manchester, saving about £100 on the cheapest available air and rail fare.

Incredible. Right? Well, yes and no. For pure price, the inter city bus can’t be beaten. But I’m struggling to think of a more disappointing and incomfortable travel experience.

The five-hour journey (which would have been two-and-a-half hours on the train) was arduous. There was just enough room to read a tabloid newspaper. But no room for a laptop (or a power point in which to plug one) ruling out as a modern day business travel option.

Even in these tough economic times I can’t envisage any company encouraging its staff to travel by bus. It’s just too bloody time consuming, no matter how cheap the fare.

I have the return journey in a few days. I’m not looking forward to it. But I think it will be the last time.

2008-11-18T19:34:00.003Z

Felixstowe Radio blogs on 18th November 2008...

Had a lovely start to the day yesterday. Left home early to take the National Express bus to London. It's cheap, convenient and comfortable. The outward journey was lovely. A beautiful Germanic lady who used the service every week explained it all to me at the bus stop. That was extremely useful because there was no information at the stop about the service at all.

The bus arrived, a little late, but she explained that was because the timetable at Chelmsford had not changed, so we would have to wait 30 minutes once we got there - so we just ambled along at the start.

The driver was extremely helpful. There was some discussion about the fare and he hauled out a huge book full of fare tables, which left me quite faint. Finally a fare was agreed, I paid, he issued me with a receipt and a piece of yellow paper that said Return Fare (or something similar).

The driver gave us all very clear instructions before we left, and so we were all safely strapped in, knowing what to do in an emergency and off we went.

The atmosphere was cordial. The lovely lady kept us informed of possible problems ahead and I relaxed, read a book, looked out of the window, enjoyed the journey.

I had a wonderful day in London, visiting several old haunts.

Arriving early at Victoria Coach Station in the afternoon for my journey home I took a look around. It is a disgusting place. The toilets stunk from 20 feet away, and passengers are compelled to pay 20p for the service. Not a place to impress visitors. I left, crossed the road, enjoyed a proper coffee, and some relief, in a cafe nearby.

Our coach arrived at Exit 5. A different driver. I'd been told by my Germanic beauty he was a Geordie and called everyone Pet.

Not so.

I handed him my yellow return ticket, and started to climb aboard.

'Just a minute. You're supposed to have exchanged this at the office.'

'What do you mean? It's a return ticket?' I said as I continued to climb the steps into the coach.

'Hold on pal, don't walk off, you're going nowhere with this.'

I'm not easily upset, but I was now.

'Look, I was sold a ticket by the driver this morning. As he handed me the two pieces of paper he said, 'the top one, the blue is your receipt, the yellow one is your return ticket. If I was supposed to exchange it he should have told me. I'm not going to do what you say now.'

'Well, you can't travel on this.'

' Try and stop me.' I said.

'He shouldn't have sold you a day return, we don't do day returns.'

By this time I'd had enough, and sat down.

My lovely day had been ruined by this driver's attitude. I sat in the coach fuming all the way home. By this morning, as I write this blog, I'd hoped this silly incident would have passed but it hasn't.

Ironically I'd planned to make a radio programme about my day, travelling to London by coach, doing my business, then taking a slow walk through parts of London that I'd known in the past. I'll still do that, but before I do I'll need to get an explanation from National Express, partly about the training in customer relations their drivers receive.

The customer is always right. That's a basic precept. If he's wrong then that should be pointed out to avoid it happening again, and some way found to get round the problem. In this case the problem was not mine. I'd presented what I believed to be a valid ticket to the driver. He'd then blamed me - for some reason that did not make sense.

Whatever happened it ruined my day. I was extremely upset. It was the injustice that really hurt. When you behave correctly and are then falsely accused it can be very painful.

Let's see what National Express have to say. I'll report back.

Gazette Live (Teesside, Middlesbrough and the North East) reports on 17th November 2008...

Abandoned at service station Sharni was left shaky and very scared

A TEENAGE girl was stranded at a service station in the early hours and left to cross a busy motorway after a mix-up over her National Express coach.

Sharni Courtley-Russell, 19, of Guisborough, was on her way back to Sheffield Hallam University on Sunday when she noticed her bus had gone past the Sheffield turn off.

She immediately informed the driver who pulled into Tibshelf Services in Derbyshire and left her there alone at 1.10am.

Sharni claims the driver told her she would have to get to the other side of the motorway to wait for another coach even though there was no bridge.

“It would have been really dangerous to cross six lanes of traffic in the pitch black,” said the student who ended up getting into a car with a stranger to get to the other side of the road.

Sharni, who is studying her first year of Environmental Management, said she was on the second leg of her journey from Leeds to Sheffield when it turned into a nightmare.

“Basically we were going down the motorway and we went straight past the Sheffield turn off.

“I woke up the second driver and he said they were going straight to London.

“The drivers were totally unsympathetic. They practically accused me of getting on the wrong coach even though they had checked me onto it, it was the right number, in the right bay at Leeds depot and they’d checked my name off the passenger list and seen my ticket clearly showing I was going to Sheffield.”

The coach dropped the former Laurence Jackson School pupil off at Tibshelf Services, 27 miles from Sheffield.

Sharni, who appeared in the Gazette three years ago when she broke her back in a sledging accident, said: “I was really shaky and scared, I did not know where I was.

“I look really quite young for my age. But they did not ask how old I was. I could have been a minor for all they knew.

“There was one woman there and as soon as she asked if I was OK I just broke down in tears.

“She said I did not want to be crossing the motorway. It was pitch black.

“Luckily this woman found a member of staff to drive me over.”

Sharni said she waited an hour and 30 minutes before National Express called her about another bus but by that time her mum was so worried about her she had phoned her uncle, who lived nearby, to go and pick her up.

The next day Stephen Kenneth Blagg, eight, from Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough died after being hit by a BMW as he ran across the A19 near Teesside Leisure Park.

His story prompted Sharni to contact the Gazette as she says she too could have been killed if she had tried to cross the motorway on foot.

A spokeswoman for National Express said they would refund Sharni’s ticket and her uncle’s petrol costs.

2008-10-17T19:21:00.002+01:00

The Blackpool Gazette reports on 17th October 2008...

Fylde passenger in coach crash horror

Published Date:
17 October 2008
By Lisa Ettridge
THE driver of a Blackpool coach carrying a pregnant Fylde coast teenager has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving following a crash.
Clare Dunne, 19, from Fleetwood who is five months pregnant, boarded the London bound National Express coach in Blackpool this morning.

The teen has told how she feared she was about to give birth when the bus left the road and hit the traffic lights by the side of a pelican crossing on Blackpool Road, Preston.

Miss Dunne said: "I just couldn't believe what was happening, I felt the bang and was scared I was giving birth.

"The bus was quite badly damaged, the bumper actually fell off and the driver seemed very shaken.

"The Police arrived and took him away and we were told he had been arrested for drink driving."

A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said: "I can confirm a 40-year-old Manchester man was arrested this morning on Blackpool Road under suspicion of having excess alcohol while in charge of a vehicle.

Chris Gee of the Blackpool Citizen filed the same but far briefer story on 17th October 2008...

Preston coach smash: driver quizzed over drink driving

A coach driver has been arrested this morning on suspicion of drink driving after a London bound service left the road and collided with traffic lights.

The National Express coach, which had departed Blackpool early today, left the road close to a pedestrian crossing in Blackpool Road, close to Preston.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "I can confirm a 40-year-old Manchester man was arrested this morning on Blackpool Road under suspicion of being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol.”

Topper finishes off his post on 17th October 2008 with ...

My National Express coach was supposed to leave Victoria at 9pm but was delayed by 90 minutes so didn't get back to Exeter until just before 3am so I was very tired at work that day as I didn't really sleep on the coach as I had a smelly bastard sat next to me between Heathrow and Taunton.

The Halifax Evening Courier reports on 16th October 2008...

Jail for menace who attacked bus driver: She punched him as he was trying to steer

Published Date: 16 October 2008
By Suzanne Rutter
A DRUNKEN woman who attacked a bus driver at the wheel of a moving coach has been jailed for 12 weeks.
Passenger Jill Tibbetts, 48, pleaded guilty to assault at a previous hearing.

Andy Wills, prosecuting at Calderdale Magistrates Court, said Tibbets grabbed Peter Wortley by the hair, slammed his face against a window and punched him as he drove the National Express coach from Barnsley towards Halifax bus station.

A passenger had alerted Mr Wortley to Tibbett. He kept an eye on her but became worried when she spilled alcohol. He tried to calm the situation down but she called him an "idiot."

At Huddersfield bus station Mr Wortley told his station manager who advised him to call police, but Tibbetts seemed to calm down.

However, she carried on drinking so Mr Wortley phoned police. When she heard him she became aggressive and screamed at him to be let off the coach.

When he refused she grabbed him by the hair and rammed his head into a window while the coach was moving into Halifax bus station.

She also punched him and tried to press buttons on the dashboard so she could get off.

Mr Wortley managed to push her off and stop the coach.
He tried to restrain her on the floor but let her go when she struggled.
She ran away but left her handbag on board.

Mr Wortley suffered a bruised scalp and face plus headaches.
He was off work for seven weeks, suffering from stress and anxiety.
He lost £1,162.11 in wages.

Richard Brown, for Tibbetts, of Kershaw Crescent, Luddenden Foot, said she had sought help for her drinking problem from her doctor and Calderdale Substance Misuse Service.

"She is a Jekyll and Hyde character. When not drinking she is the most polite and pleasant person you could meet but when she drinks she acts in a wholly illogical way. She is sorry."

Sentencing her, chairwoman of the bench Annabel Davis said: "The victim was providing a service to the public. There could have been serious danger to Mr Wortley, the passengers and to other members of the public. The aggravating factor was that it was a moving vehicle.

"And Miss Tibbetts was drunk."