First Bus passengers complain of city ticket inspectors

LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Sublim Tanjim visited her dad at the N&N with her sister on the number 11 bus from St Stephens Street last week.

The 24-year-old said: "When we got on I explained I needed to do multiple journeys and asked whether an inner city or outer city ticket was appropriate.

The heavy-handed ticket inspectors have been spotted on First Buses around the city (Image: Newsquest)

"The bus driver told me an inner ticket would be sufficient so that’s what we got.

"However on the way back from the hospital I got stopped by three revenue protection inspectors who checked our tickets and told me we had the wrong one.

"Even though I tried to explain multiple times why we got the inner-city ticket they wouldn’t listen and dragged both of us off the bus, leaving us in the middle of nowhere.

"They were extremely rude and aggressive – they towered over us and were extremely intimidating – they forced me to give me to give them my details and said they’d give me a £50 penalty.

"I have since tried to appeal the ticket but this was denied so I had to pay it.

Catherine Essex regularly takes the bus to Norwich and said her partner referred to the inspectors as 'militant’ (Image: Catherine Essex)

"I was already under so much stress due to my dad being in hospital, but now the company are treating me extremely unfair and hatefully.

"I feel like we're being robbed for being given incorrect information."

'IT'S UNNERVING'

Catherine Essex regularly takes the bus into Norwich, from Fakenham, on her way to work.

The 52-yaer-old added: "This has been happening more often recently and my partner referred to them as militant. 

"We witnessed a foreign student getting dragged off the bus recently who had a UEA ID, but was asked for further ID, despite barely being able to understand English.

"The inspectors are intimidating and it’s unnerving for passengers.

One of the incidents is said to have happened on the number 24 First Bus (Image: Creative Commons)

"It seems like such a pointless exercise and I haven’t actually seen anyone taken off the bus for not having a valid ticket yet."

Natasha Day, who lives in Thorpe St Andrew, also witnessed another incident while on the number 24 bus yesterday.

"It was at the Prince of Wales stop and it was apparent the two ticket inspectors, both in their late 60s, clearly overdressed for their role and looked more like police from a TV show" she said.

"They were also intimidating and bullied one young woman on the top deck, who had unfortunately mislaid her ticket.

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"Thankfully she was supported by some people near her but it left passengers feeling uncomfortable and the woman shaken.

"While she managed to find her ticket it’s very clear the inspectors have misread their role.

"I’ve put in a complaint to First Bus."

Natasha Day, who witnessed another incident involving the inspectors said they were intimidating and bullying (Image: Natasha Day)

WHAT DOES FIRST BUS SAY?

A spokeswoman for First Bus said: "It is the revenue protection officers' job to ensure that passengers are travelling with a valid, correctly issued ticket and that it is retained for the duration of the journey.

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"If a passenger is travelling without a ticket, then they are at risk of receiving a standard fare charge.

"We are taking all reports of issues relating to revenue protection officers seriously and are taking on board customer feedback.

"An example of this is that we are increasing the visibility of signage that informs passengers to retain tickets for the duration of the journey."