The mum-of-two claims she and other passengers were made to stand in the pouring rain as the driver refused them on board
Te’Anya Palmer claims a Flixbus driver drove into her ‘multiple times’ in Leeds(Image: Flixbus/Te’Anya Palmer)
A woman has claimed a FlixBus driver ploughed into her “multiple times” as she was attempting to board at Leeds Bus Station.
Te’Anya Palmer, 31, was catching the Leeds to London coach at the station, to get home to Nottingham, at 4.30pm on Saturday, November 29. The mum-of-two claims when she and other passengers arrived on time, the coach door was locked and the driver wouldn’t let them in.
The 31-year-old says she and four other passengers then pleaded with the driver to let them onto the coach – but the driver was steadfast in her refusal. She went on to claim the driver then drove into her “multiple times”.
FlixBus has said it’s investigating the allegations, along with officials at Leeds Bus Station. The coach operator added they had been in touch with Te’Anya to issue her a full refund.
A bus leaves Leeds bus station in the city centre(Image: West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Speaking about how the incident began, Te’Anya said: “The driver refused to let us board, would not communicate with us, and repeatedly waved her hands dismissively while ignoring our attempts to speak to her.
“I approached the window to ask her to lower it so we could communicate, but she refused to engage. All four of us were standing in the pouring rain, visibly distressed and begging her to allow us on—yet she chose instead to close the doors on another passenger and ignore us completely.
“What happened next was not only shocking but dangerous and potentially criminal. The driver drove the coach into me multiple times while I was trying to show her the time to demonstrate that we were not late. She continued to sound the horn repeatedly instead of speaking to us or ensuring our safety.”
Te’Anya Palmer claims a Flixbus driver drove into her ‘multiple times’ in Leeds(Image: Te’Anya Palmer)
Te’Anya said 10 minutes later security arrived to help. She said: “Only then did the driver finally lower the window. Even as I pleaded with her—showing her a photo of my six-year-old and three-year-old and explaining that I urgently needed to return home—she refused to allow us to board.”
Te’Anya said the driver’s husband, who she says was aboard, appeared to be “ordering” the driver to not let them on the bus. She added that the coach driver was then told to drive around the station and back into the bay, but the husband said “As soon as they move, drive off.”
Then one of the other affected passengers opened the door, at which point Te’Anya attempted to board. The husband pressed a button to close the door on her, which struck her arm, claimed the distressed mum. She says when she finally managed to step onto the coach, he “pushed her with his leg while saying, ‘You’re not getting on.’”
FlixBus file picture(Image: FlixBus)
She said the driver then said: “It’s not my call—he is my husband.”
Te’Anya said: “This entire experience left me upset, embarrassed, shaken, and traumatised. The behaviour of both the driver and her husband was dangerous, unprofessional, and an outright violation of passenger safety standards.”
A spokesperson from FlixBus said: “We take allegations of unsafe or inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously and have launched a full investigation in cooperation with our operating partner and Leeds Bus Station. Customer service has been in contact with the passenger and has provided a refund.”
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