Bus driver dressed as Father Christmas branded 'Bad Santa' after ordering disabled man off Cambridge service over 'elf and safety' | Cambridge News | Latest News Headlines From Cambridge City & Cambridgeshire | National News By Cambridge News
A bus driver wearing a full Santa suit ordered a disabled man off a bus in Cambridge – over ‘elf and safety’ rules.
Shocked passengers described how a row broke out between the Stagecoach park and ride bus driver – who has been branded a “bad Santa” – and the wheelchair-bound man because he was facing the wrong way.
Passengers were so concerned about how the disabled man was being treated they stayed on the bus to witness the incident.
But the driver emptied the whole bus of passengers and was about to call police when the disabled man got off following the incident at the city’s rail station.
Chris Dunne, 34, a plumber and father of two young daughters aged 8 and 3, who lives near Halstead, was a passenger on the bus.
He told the News: “The driver was wearing a full Santa costume. I am glad I didn’t have my kids with me.
“He was being a bad Santa and you don’t want your kids to see that.
“The disabled man didn’t want to face to the rear because he said he was doing that when he had the accident that disabled him. The guy was being totally reasonable but the driver was out of order.
“At first we thought it was someone who had tried to dodge their fare.
“We all stayed on the bus until we were told to get off. You just know when something is not right and we didn’t want to leave the man.
“There were a lot of people on that bus and it must have been really embarrassing for the disabled man. He just said to the driver to refund his fare and he would get off. I think all the passengers were just shocked. It was ridiculous.”
Stagecoach chiefs have defended the driver’s actions in insisting the disabled man face to the front of the bus for health and safety reasons.
Andy Campbell, managing director of Stagecoach Cambridgeshire, said: “Our headquarters had a call from the disabled man who asked if he could travel on the park and ride bus beforehand and was told he could.
“When he got on the bus he refused to position his wheelchair where it was safe – in other words facing away from the front of the bus where there is a board which holds the wheelchair safely and stops it from moving when the driver has to take a corner to stop it tipping over.
“The driver explained this to the customer but he was not prepared to do it.
“The driver phoned our control room and was told that if the customer was refusing to move then he should call the police. Before he could call the police the customer got off the bus.
“We are quite happy to take wheelchairs on buses but they have to be in a safe and secure position for the safety of the customer.”
The incident happened last Saturday afternoon. The disabled man has not been traced.
Stagecoach drivers have infuriated other passengers over health and safety.
Pensioner Janet Chapman, of Huntingdon Road, Sawston, was with her daughter Tammy, who has Down’s syndrome and was in a wheelchair, at Babraham Road park and ride in Cambridge last year when they tried to get on a bus and the space designated for disabled people was taken up with pushchairs.
She said the Stagecoach driver refused to ask the mums to fold their buggies.
Mrs Chapman received an apology from Stagecoach bosses.
And Simon Virr, of Cambridge, was told by the driver of a Stagecoach bus it would be a breach of health and safety rules to allow him to board carrying a can of paint in 2008.
A bus driver wearing a full Santa suit ordered a disabled man off a bus in Cambridge – over ‘elf and safety’ rules.
Shocked passengers described how a row broke out between the Stagecoach park and ride bus driver – who has been branded a “bad Santa” – and the wheelchair-bound man because he was facing the wrong way.
Passengers were so concerned about how the disabled man was being treated they stayed on the bus to witness the incident.
But the driver emptied the whole bus of passengers and was about to call police when the disabled man got off following the incident at the city’s rail station.
Chris Dunne, 34, a plumber and father of two young daughters aged 8 and 3, who lives near Halstead, was a passenger on the bus.
He told the News: “The driver was wearing a full Santa costume. I am glad I didn’t have my kids with me.
“He was being a bad Santa and you don’t want your kids to see that.
“The disabled man didn’t want to face to the rear because he said he was doing that when he had the accident that disabled him. The guy was being totally reasonable but the driver was out of order.
“At first we thought it was someone who had tried to dodge their fare.
“We all stayed on the bus until we were told to get off. You just know when something is not right and we didn’t want to leave the man.
“There were a lot of people on that bus and it must have been really embarrassing for the disabled man. He just said to the driver to refund his fare and he would get off. I think all the passengers were just shocked. It was ridiculous.”
Stagecoach chiefs have defended the driver’s actions in insisting the disabled man face to the front of the bus for health and safety reasons.
Andy Campbell, managing director of Stagecoach Cambridgeshire, said: “Our headquarters had a call from the disabled man who asked if he could travel on the park and ride bus beforehand and was told he could.
“When he got on the bus he refused to position his wheelchair where it was safe – in other words facing away from the front of the bus where there is a board which holds the wheelchair safely and stops it from moving when the driver has to take a corner to stop it tipping over.
“The driver explained this to the customer but he was not prepared to do it.
“The driver phoned our control room and was told that if the customer was refusing to move then he should call the police. Before he could call the police the customer got off the bus.
“We are quite happy to take wheelchairs on buses but they have to be in a safe and secure position for the safety of the customer.”
The incident happened last Saturday afternoon. The disabled man has not been traced.
Stagecoach drivers have infuriated other passengers over health and safety.
Pensioner Janet Chapman, of Huntingdon Road, Sawston, was with her daughter Tammy, who has Down’s syndrome and was in a wheelchair, at Babraham Road park and ride in Cambridge last year when they tried to get on a bus and the space designated for disabled people was taken up with pushchairs.
She said the Stagecoach driver refused to ask the mums to fold their buggies.
Mrs Chapman received an apology from Stagecoach bosses.
And Simon Virr, of Cambridge, was told by the driver of a Stagecoach bus it would be a breach of health and safety rules to allow him to board carrying a can of paint in 2008.