If you need to get to your driving theory test, don’t rely on public transport! 18-year-old Lewis Nunn found this out the hard way. The Soham-based teenager found himself stranded when a bus failed to turn up, leaving him ‘unable’ to get to his driving theory test in Cambridge City Centre.
The driving theory test is stressful enough, without having to worry about the reliability of public transport. For Lewis Nunn of Soham, Cambridgeshire, driving theory test day for him became a nightmare. It all started at 1pm, when he arrived at the bus stop in Soham to get to Cambridge city centre.
More than an hour later, Lewis was still waiting because the bus hadn’t turned up. Anxious that he was going to miss his 3pm theory test, Lee rang his Mum, Jane who had this to say: “By 2pm the bus still had not showed up.”
“Lewis had been checking progress on their website on his phone, he was worried about getting to his test in time so he rang me and I offered to call Stagecoach,” Lewis’ mum added.
Ms Nunn was told that the bus Lewis was waiting for – operated by Stagecoach – had broken down in Stuntney just after 1pm. The bus didn’t turn up in Soham – a rural parish village – until 2.20pm, a full 80 minutes late. Stagecoach told Ms Nunn that the bus would arrive in Cambridge by 2.50pm.
The problem is, theory test candidates are expected to be at the test centre at least 15 minutes prior to the exam. In Lewis’ case, he needed to be there by 2.45pm or he would be unable to take the test. Ms Nunn pointed out that the bus had no chance of making it to Cambridge from Soham in less than 30 minutes.
Lewis loses his driving theory test fee
Unfortunately, Lewis lost his £23 driving theory test fee and despite Ms Nunn’s protests, Stagecoach refused to offer him a refund. She said: “When you live in a rural area many people rely on public transport.”
Managing director of Stagecoach East, Andy Campbell, said: “We are sorry to hear that Lewis missed his driving theory test. However, our tracking software shows that the bus arrived in Cambridge Short Street at 14.50 and Drummer Street at 14.53 – in time for Lewis’ 3pm test.”
Sorry to burst your bubble Mr Campbell, but you’re wrong. Theory test candidates are required to arrive 10 – 15 minutes before their exam. The final arrival time of the bus in question left little time for Lewis to get to his test.
Stagecoach offered Lewis a measly Dayrider Plus voucher as a ‘gesture of goodwill.’ Disgraceful… they should definitely be giving him his money back.
The moral of the story for other theory test candidates… book a taxi or get a lift, especially if you live in a rural location.
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