Strange Megabus experience

[howittpie]

On Thursday morning I travelled on the 0100 m12/m19 service from London to Manchester the coach continues to Glasgow. The journey was going fine until Leicester where I was told we had waited 20 minutes. The coach then made the short trip to Leicester forest East servoce where passengers were ordered off as the relief driver had not arrived. We were told to check again in 45 minutes. Myself and a number of passengers requested to stay on the coach to sleep but were told we had to get off as he was scared someone would drive off in the coach . All the passenger congregated in the foyer of the service area but no driver appeared for the next 20 minutes.

After making a phone call to Megabus control they told us the driver was there ha and we hadn't been ordered off the coach and they only told the driver to let the passsengeras to stretch there legs. Amazingly a driver appeared in the next 3 minutes a conicidence?

My questions are:
1/ Is it normal practice to be ordered of the coach to wait a replacment driver on Megabus.
2/ How easy would it be for somone to drive off with the coach.

 

[anti-pacer]

Having previously worked for National Express, who are not (imo) much better, I can safely tell you that Megabus are awful!

 

[dvboy]

1. No
2. The coach is the responsibility of the driver, if he was doing his job properly, he should have stayed with the coach until the relief driver arrived.

 

[Deerfold]

I caught an overnight Megabus service from Leeds to London a few years ago.

We got to the depot near Barnsley and had to get off and move our suitcases to another coach and then board that.

It wouldn't have been so annoying if we'd known this from the start and I wouldn't have bothered to fall asleep by then and would have been a bit less confused.

 

[BestWestern]

Regarding someone driving off with the coach, most coaches would have an ignition key I would presume, but perhaps vehicles ordered only for scheduled work just have starter switches specified?