83-year-old left behind after suffering a fall on bus trip - InterCity bus company apologises

InterCity NZ has apologised "unreservedly" to an 83-year-old man who was left behind in Kaikōura after he suffered a fall.

InterCity has apologised to an 83-year-old man and his family after a driver abandoned him part-way through his journey following a fall.

The man was travelling from Christchurch to Nelson on Friday when he fell over while the bus had stopped for food in href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/kaikoura/" target="_blank"> Kaikōura.

His family said he was left behind because the driver saw him as a liability.

An InterCity spokesperson has apologised, acknowledging the company fell short of its standards.

“This is deeply concerning, and we apologise unreservedly ... for the experience he has had on our service, which is unacceptable,” the spokesperson said.

“We have spoken with the passenger to check on his welfare and to offer a full refund.”

The company said it was looking into the incident to understand how it happened and determine its next steps.

“Customer care and safety are our top priorities and it appears we have not met our own standards in this instance.”