http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/n...t-11014693

Oh dear. The passengers are partly fools here. They weren't forceably trapped and could have left, even if the coach dos leave without them. Though I imagine the more likely scenario would be that if someone left the coach for a genuine urgent reason, eg toilet or water, the remaining passengers would inform the incoming driver before she left.

Reminds me of an experience I had with Megabus traveling Manchester - Middlesbrough. It was mid snow showers and timetables had gone to pot. From the stop i rang customer services to ask for a rough estimate of how long the delay would be, she was honest and told me the coach was still in Birmingham and was expecting a slow journey north taking at least 2 hours.

Great I thought, I can comfortably head for a coffee and keep warm for at least an hour. No. She also told me they may change plans at any time and dispatch a reserve vehicle to collect Manchester passengers. I see their intentions here but when passengers are left alone in a draughty bus station in artic temperatures with no staff on hand to update us what we all really wanted was accurate information! Three long, cold hours later the delayed coach arrived and promptly broke down on stand. IIRC the windscreen washer tank breeched and despite some efforts with an old Coke bottle and some tape it was a no-go.

Fast forward another hour the weary group of passengers and ushered onto a Stagecoach Manchester enviro 400 for the journey along the M62. Anybody familier with the route/road can image the agony that is a heavily laden enviro 400 crawling up the steep M62 incline into Holmfirth.

I drove from then on.