CONCERNS have been raised after a coach company operating a Malmesbury bus route allegedly left two teenagers stranded in Chippenham.

David Beldon, 52, claims that his son Finn Beldon was attempting to get the 92 bus home from Malmesbury with a friend on February 18 but did not have the correct change.

After asking the driver for a ticket Finn, 15, said he was told he would not be allowed on board as the bus driver did not have change for a £10 note.

As a result of this the two teenagers were forced to pay £23 for a taxi home which many Malmesbury residents have branded as unacceptable.

Mr Beldon has complained to both Wiltshire Council and Coachstyle, the company that operates the 92 from Malmesbury to Chippenham.

He said: “Given that the same bus driver that morning gave them change it seems that there is some inconsistency. I think they should have taken the lads on board.

“What if that had been a disabled person for instance, or a mother with a young child left out on a cold winter’s evening? It’s not on really at all.”

Mr Beldon said that there were about 10 other people on the bus and added that it was unlikely that the driver would have got no change from other passengers along the route.

He added that a cashless travel card system, something Wiltshire Council have investigated in the past, would have prevented the problem and would mean young adults would not have to carry as much cash while on their own.

Director of Coachstyle Ltd Lynne Jones said that she was also unhappy with the situation and has reprimanded the driver for his actions.

She added: “This unfortunate incident has highlighted to us that there is a problem in our system and we have implemented a strategy to ensure this does not happen again.  

“If one of our drivers finds himself without the relevant change then they have now been instructed to issue a “Change Voucher” that can be redeemed from our office either personally or by post – these vouchers will have a validity date of 1 month.”

Mrs Jones extended her apologies to Mr Beldon and also promised to reimburse the money his son had to pay to get home in a taxi.