Last bus cancelled and no help

[markymark2000]

Years ago, a friend of mine went for a job with a county council where the main function was to audit those undertaking contract work for them and suss out whether they were claiming for mileage they didn't run. This was often intelligence-led, and based on the fact that records for buses run are not that easy to fake, and people tend not to maliciously complain about a company failing to run a bus. At least one operator I know of lost the contract with this county for regularly not running a contracted service and not reporting it.

I'm not sure how many years ago you are talking, but if it's within the past 10-15 years, it'd be very much the exception rather than the rule.

I'd love to see more operators losing contracts because of poor operation. A firm near me is shocking, and had the bus regularly running 10 minutes early through timing points, so ridding them off the contract would be very much appreciated.

 

[RT4038]

Memories of the 1950's in North Wales where the last bus was shown in the timetable as "10mins after the cinema closes"

Quite. Cancelling last buses was almost unthinkable then. Crews knew that their life would be made fairly unpleasant on subsequent nights/weeks if they were the cause, so just didn't. Even in the 80s, I worked in a North Eastern town where there was a weekly meeting with the Police on coping with the crowds for last buses on Friday and Saturday nights, with a couple of 'relief' buses in the schedule that would be moved around for particular evening events as necessary.
Whereas now, in the Midlands town of my residence, the few evening buses running are mainly catering for people going to and from Distribution Warehouse shift changes - the very small numbers of anyone else travelling are likely considered as probably being up to no good !

 

[erskinebus]

To give an operator some credit - I had an issue 7-8 years ago where Renfrew Street (the northenmost point of the grid system in Glasgow) had been closed long term until earlier on my day of travel. The driver of the very last McGill's bus out of town hadn't realised it had reopened, and followed the previous diversion, terminating and restarting half way up the grid.

I had to get a taxi home and McGill's reimbursed me, although unexpectedly they docked it from the driver's wage which I felt a bit bad about.

They had initially rejected my complaint because my taxi receipt showed the following day, until I reminded them that I got home after midnight.

 

[tomoufc]

I'm not sure how many other companies have this policy, but my local company - TLC Travel, based in Bradford - will reimburse taxi fares if the last bus on a particular route is cancelled. You just have to obtain a receipt from the taxi driver and present it to any TLC bus driver in the local area on the following day - whether travelling or not - and they will refund it in cash. Not sure whether or not the driver would have enough cash to refund a large taxi fare. In my case it was only £5.

Do you have to email them? TLC never seem to return my emails, and they seldom pick up the phone. Is the policy written anywhere?

Also, I assume you know about this? https://www.wymetro.com/contact-us/...i-refunds-for-bus-journeys-in-west-yorkshire/

 

[Deerfold]

Do you have to email them? TLC never seem to return my emails, and they seldom pick up the phone. Is the policy written anywhere?

Also, I assume you know about this? https://www.wymetro.com/contact-us/...i-refunds-for-bus-journeys-in-west-yorkshire/

I did post that link in post #4.

 

[D6130]

,,

Do you have to email them? TLC never seem to return my emails, and they seldom pick up the phone. Is the policy written anywhere?

Also, I assume you know about this? https://www.wymetro.com/contact-us/...i-refunds-for-bus-journeys-in-west-yorkshire/

On the two occasions when it has happened to me I just requested a receipt from the taxi driver and presented it to the first TLC driver that I encountered waiting at Hebden Bridge station the following day, while explaining the previous night's situation. In both cases I was immediately given a cash refund - I'm return for the taxi receipt - without further questions. The fact that the taxi fare was exactly £5 probably made it simpler.

 

[tomoufc]

,,

On the two occasions when it has happened to me I just requested a receipt from the taxi driver and presented it to the first TLC driver that I encountered waiting at Hebden Bridge station the following day, while explaining the previous night's situation. In both cases I was immediately given a cash refund - I'm return for the taxi receipt - without further questions. The fact that the taxi fare was exactly £5 probably made it simpler.

Thanks. I’ll keep this in mind in case I need it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Aug 2026 ==

I did post that link in post #4.

Have you ever made use of it?

 

[Deerfold]

Thanks. I’ll keep this in mind in case I need it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Aug 2026 ==


Have you ever made use of it?

I haven't needed to. I've never seen Transdev (who I tend to be using when it's late) miss a last bus, so far as I can remember.

I did wonder what happens if the last bus left early.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I had to get a taxi home and McGill's reimbursed me, although unexpectedly they docked it from the driver's wage which I felt a bit bad about.

I can't decide what's worse: that they did that, or that they (presumably) told you about it.

 

[tomoufc]

I can't decide what's worse: that they did that, or that they (presumably) told you about it.

That they did it

 

[mayneway]

I can't decide what's worse: that they did that, or that they (presumably) told you about it.

They won’t have done it as it’s illegal, it’s also very grey ground telling a member of the public the outcome of an investigation regarding a member of staff so it was probably just words given to make the passenger/customer feel better.

The industry struggles to fill driver positions as it is if it got out firms were taking money off drivers they’d never recruit any staff.