Bus provider issues apology as over 100 people left waiting for over an hour in Peak District after two buses fail to show up

By Wiktoria Wrzyszcz
Published 17th Oct 2023, 13:57 BST
Updated 17th Oct 2023, 13:57 BST
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A bus company has apologised for delays after over 100 people were left stranded in the Peak District at the weekend.

The incident happened on Saturday, October 14, around 3 pm, when two buses, 170 and 218, failed to show up at a bus stop in Bakewell.

170 service from Bakewell to Chetserfield is run by Hulleys of Baslow, while 218 from Bakewell to Sheffield is provided by TM Travel.

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Adrian Rimington, local chairman of the National Pensioners Convention who hosted a protest on Saturday with other campaigners in a bid to improve the county’s bus services, was affected by the delay.

Adrian Rimington, local chairman of the National Pensioners Convention, who launched the campaign to improve buses across Chesterfield, was waited for an hour and 10 minutes for a bus in Peak District last weekend.Adrian Rimington, local chairman of the National Pensioners Convention, who launched the campaign to improve buses across Chesterfield, was waited for an hour and 10 minutes for a bus in Peak District last weekend.
Adrian Rimington, local chairman of the National Pensioners Convention, who launched the campaign to improve buses across Chesterfield, was waited for an hour and 10 minutes for a bus in Peak District last weekend.

Adrian said: “I stopped off in Bakewell after the demonstartion has finished. I tried to get a 170 service at 2.50pm to get back to Chesterfield – but it did not show up. 218 to Sheffield did not show up either. And there was in excess of a hundred people waiting in that small area of a Bakewell bus stop and absolutely angry that the buses didn’t turn up. It shows Hulleys are overstrecthcing themsleves now with not enough drivers.

"The queues emerged, we didn’t know which queue was which and when the buses would show up. 170 finally arrived at 4pm, after an hour and 10 minutes of waiting – and I’m told 218 came evetually a little after.”

Alfred Crofts, Managing Director at Hulleys of Baslow, which run the 170 bus, said: “Saturday was an awful day. Having managed to cover all shifts despite a driver shortage, on Saturday we had two divers have to go home to attend to their respective partners; one had suffered a suspected mini-stroke and the other had fallen downstairs.

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"In terms of drivers the cupboard was bare and this, combined with exceptionally busy traffic levels around Baslow and Bakewell meant that we struggled to keep the 170 on time despite the very best efforts of the drivers out on the road. I can only apologise for the inconvenience caused. We do have more drivers joining us in the coming weeks and so hopefully things should improve.”

TM transport, which run the 218 service between Bakewell and Sheffield, have been contacted for a comment.

Related topics:BakewellPeak DistrictSheffield

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