Coach is halted as driver reaches limit

Coach passengers travelling from the West Midlands to Stansted Airport had to take a 50-minute taxi ride to finish their journey because the driver had reached his allotted time limit for driving says one of the passengers.

Peter Hughes said he almost missed his flight yesterday after a National Express driver parked in a lay-by and refused to move. Mr Hughes, on his way to catch a flight to Grenoble, France, for a snowboarding holiday, says he was told to share a taxi with fellow passengers for the last few miles.

He said that once they were dropped off the taxi driver then picked up people waiting at the airport for the coach back to Birmingham, driving them back to the coach, which was still parked in the lay-by near Luton.

“It was all a bit strange really,” said Mr Hughes, aged 37, of Almond Croft, Great Barr.

“He just pulled up and turfed us out and we had to wait for 15 minutes for this taxi to arrive.

“I think the snow had meant we got stuck in traffic so he ended up driving for five hours, by which time he had to stop.

“No-one looked particularly happy about it.

“We’d got on the coach at Digbeth at 5.30am and I just wanted to sleep.”

European laws regulating hours of work say drivers must have a 45-minute break after driving for four hours and 30 minutes.

Mr Hughes added: “He dropped us in Luton so it was about a 40-mile trip I would say. The the taxi did it back the other way to the coach. It must be costing them a bomb.

“We were meant to arrive at 9.30am but we got there about 11. At least I haven’t missed my flight.”

National Express spokeswoman Carly O’Donnell, said: “Our Stansted service was delayed by adverse weather. Our team arranged for several customers to continue their journey by taxi to help them meet their connecting flights.

“We are committed to delivering the best customer service possible and will always do everything we can to get our customers to their destination.”

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