InterCity has apologised and launched an "immediate investigation" after an 83-year-old man was left stranded in Kaikōura after the bus he was on drove off following a rest stop.
Barry's daughter-in-law Bex Gardiner told Breakfast octogenarian Barry Gardiner was onboard an InterCity bus from Christchurch to Nelson last week when the bus stopped in Kaikōura for a rest break and passengers were required to get off.
She said he was slowly making his way back to the bus with other passengers aboard, and quickened his pace, but the bus still departed without him.
"He was coming back with a bit of food in his hand and yes, he's quite slow… he's 83. So he quickened his pace to try and get back to the bus, but the bus driver got quite agitated — according to people on the bus — and just left him there.
"As he saw the bus drive away, he fell over. Thankfully, so many people came to his aid."
Bex Gardiner said her father-in-law was confused and "he could not understand why" the driver had just left him.
She said "two lovely ladies" including Cezanne Lyons who owned the Jade Kiwi shop came to his side and brought him into their shop, later driving him to Blenheim.
"These lovely ladies took the time out of their day to drive him to my house.
"He got to where he needed to be, but there was no need for that kind of treatment," she said.
Bex Gardiner said InterCity had replied to a Facebook post she wrote abut how "angry" she was.
"Barry's a lot nicer than I am, and he doesn't want the driver to lose his job. He just wants him to treat people how he wants to be treated. I mean, if you don't have patience in this job, why are you doing it? … It's just wrong. You don't treat our elders like that. They're our taonga."
InterCity responds
In a statement to 1News, an InterCity spokesperson described the incident as "deeply concerning".
"We apologise unreservedly to Mr Gardiner for the experience he has had on our service which is unacceptable. We spoke with Mr Gardiner on the same day to check on his welfare and to offer a full refund."
The bus company also responded to Bex Gardiner's Facebook post, saying it would look into the matter with an "immediate investigation" to understand how this happened and determine next steps.
"Customer care and safety are our top priorities and it appears we have not met our own standards in this instance," it said.
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