I had an extremely disappointing…
I had an extremely disappointing experience with a driver on Bus No. 1 from Queens Town to the airport via Blue Peak. Upon boarding, I asked the driver the fare per person to the airport, and he told me it was $10 each. I handed him my BeeCard asking him check the balance, and he informed me it was empty. I had only $12 in cash, but fortunately, a kind passenger stepped in and gave me an additional $8.
What the driver failed to mention—and seemingly ignored—is the actual fare policy in Queens Town: if you tap a BeeCard, the fare is only $2 per person. Without a BeeCard, the cash fare is $8. While BeeCard top-up locations are limited, passengers can give cash to the driver to load their card directly on the bus. I had forgotten this rule at the time, but the driver was fully aware I had a BeeCard. Instead of offering to load my cash onto the card so I could tap on for $2, he chose to charge the higher cash rate—even as he watched another passenger help me with money.
It wasn’t until I reached the airport that I realized what had happened. I immediately called Orbus at 0800 672 8778 and spoke with Sue, who acknowledged the issue and promised to refund my BeeCard and investigate the driver. She asked me to email her, which I did. Several days later, however, I received a reply from another staff member, Victoria, who clearly did not understand the situation and offered no resolution.
With my BeeCard number, Orbus could easily identify the driver involved, yet it appears no investigation was undertaken. This was a frustrating and unfair experience with Queens Town’s bus service, made worse by the lack of accountability and follow-up.