Lismore woman's bus trip from Hell | Northern Rivers News | Local News in Northern Rivers

Saffron Howden | 17th March 2009

AN East Lismore woman says she was forced to trek one kilometre, carrying heavy bags in scorching heat, because her Premier bus driver refused to drop her at her pre-booked destination.

Helen Hope had booked in advance a bus ticket from Lismore to the Coolangatta Airport Motel in December last year and had checked with Premier Motor Service beforehand that she could be dropped directly at the hotel.

She was told she could be.

However, when the bus arrived in Coolangatta, the driver dropped her at a bus shelter and refused to take her the extra distance to her destination, leaving her to lug a suitcase, two handbags and a satchel along the roadside for a kilometre, she said.

“He stops the bus and says: ‘Get out. Here’s your stop. Get out,’” Ms Hope said.

“I got out and had all this luggage. It was 30-plus heat.”

A young man at the bus shelter told her the motel was another kilometre down the road, so she was forced to start walking.

“It was just horrendous. It was a nightmare,” Ms Hope said.

“The motel staff were just appalled, absolutely appalled,” she said.

Premier Acting North Coast Operations Manager Garry King said he would investigate the incident, but could not comment on it without a record of complaint.

Ms Hope said that, by the time she returned from overseas in January, she had health problems to attend to and had not made an official complaint.

The Northern Star last week revealed a lack of public transport in the region and poor bus services meant residents were either relying heavily on private cars or being left isolated at home.

Premier purchased the Lismore to Brisbane route from Kirklands last year. Since the handover, even passengers travelling locally are now asked to book 24 hours in advance and can no longer hail a bus along the route.

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