After a teenager was left out of pocket when his Carousel bus failed to turn up, other passengers have voiced their concerns with bus services in Bucks. 

The 16-year-old Chesham Grammar School pupil had to pay for a taxi to get home safely.

A father and a travel business owner Howard Salinger and his children have also faced problems on the Carousel bus service number one between Chesham and Hemel Hempstead.

While he lives in Hemel Hempstead, his children go to school in Chesham – and they have to get the bus there and back every day.

Mr Salinger said: “My children often call me after school ends to say their bus has either not shown up or gone past their stop.

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“They both purchase a return journey every day and invariably I have to go and pick them up, which isn’t convenient when you’re running your own company. 

“My wife works long shifts at the NHS so cannot get them either."

He tried to speak to someone about the “poor services” through messages and email, but received no response.

He said: “I understand that companies have been impacted by Covid. 

“I run a business in the travel industry which got hit harder than most. 

“However, I would never take money from customers and not offer any customer service in response.”

An 80-year-old High Wycombe resident Vivienne had a similar experience recently.

Vivienne needs to use a walking stick, and cannot walk long distances because of a moderate mobility impairment.

She relies on the bus 27 to travel between the High Wycombe bus station and Olympic Way to get to the GP, dentist and physio around three times per week, and to meet friends for coffee.

But bus cancellations without warning last week forced her to get a taxi.

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She said: “It is a short route and used mainly by elderly people who have no alternative but to get a taxi, which we can't afford."

Since the timetable was changed without advance warning, many would-be passengers were missing from the station at the new times, she said. 

Vivienne said: “I feel very insecure if the bus fails to run, because there is always the possibility it will taken off permanently which is unthinkable, not only for me but all the passengers who rely on it. 

“Feeling stranded in the bus station is an unpleasant experience especially if the 27 bus is still showing on the monitor board as though still due, and this is what happened last week, with no staff there to ask.”

Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "Service One is a commercial bus route and not run by the Council, and operational issues are a matter for the bus companies themselves.

“However, we are committed to working with all bus operators to improve bus services across the county.

"Regarding bus timetable information, our website is kept up to date with any changes for all bus routes running in Buckinghamshire. Bus stop timetables at the roadside are also updated as close to a service change date as possible."

Carousel Buses was contacted for a comment.

Please email noora.mykkanen@newsquest.co.uk if you've been impacted by bus cancellations in Bucks.