A group of travelers, including a journalist writing to The Guardian, experienced a harrowing delay after their Flixbus coach was forced to stop on the M23 motorway. The incident occurred after police intervened and arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
The passengers, who had boarded the service from Cambridge to Brighton at Gatwick Airport, reported that the journey began with significant irregularities. The coach arrived approximately one hour late and sustained visible external damage. Despite these issues, the driver proceeded with the trip without securing the luggage hatch.
Once en route, the group was left stranded on the motorway’s hard shoulder for roughly 90 minutes. The writers described the wait as terrifying, citing the danger posed by heavy goods vehicles thundering past at high speeds while the passengers waited for authorities to process the driver’s arrest and arrange alternative transport.
Glad the driver was arrested, but leaving passengers in such danger is unacceptable. Flixbus needs strict safety audits immediately.
How did a visibly damaged bus with an open luggage hatch even leave the station? This feels like systemic negligence.
Stranded on the M23 for ninety minutes is terrifying. Drivers must never be allowed to start routes when already late and damaged.