Christine Hill, 78, was on the bus home with her grandson when they tumbled down the stairs after the driver jerked forwards. Google / Images
Christine Hill, 78, was on the bus home with her grandson when they tumbled down the stairs after the driver jerked forwards. Google / Images
An Auckland grandmother and her grandson have been left bruised and shaken after tumbling down the stairs of a double-decker bus.
Grey Lynn resident Christine Hill, 78, and her grandson Bronson, 10, were thrown from the top level of the bus when it suddenly jerked forwards from its stop andthe pair became “airborne”.
They were left covered in bruises and cuts.
“I landed on top of my grandson but, thankfully, somehow, we are both okay,” Hill said. “We could have died.
“I’ve noticed a big change in the culture of bus drivers ... most are lovely, but you get some nowadays that don’t seem bothered.”
The No 18 bus route Christine Hill and grandson Bronson were taking from Britomart to the Grey Lynn shops. Photo / Auckland Transport
Auckland Transport said they are aware of the incident and said the driver should have waited until Hill had moved down the stairwell.
The driver did not follow protocol and the incident has been taken up with the operator.
Hill said the ill-fated trip happened at the end of January when the pair caught the No 18 double-decker bus operated by Kinetic, formally NZ Bus, from Britomart.
About 3.30pm, the bus came to a stop outside Surrey Cres at the Grey Lynn shops.
As they were descending the stairs, the bus suddenly lurched forwards and the pair were thrown down the steps.
The fall resulted in bruising to Bronson’s chest and to both sides of Hill’s body, as well as a cut on her left knee.
Hill said the bus doors were still open when it started to move.
“I remember because there were a few people standing on the street and one lady started yelling at the bus driver, ‘Help her up, get her some help,’ as she rushed inside to help me off the floor.”
Christine Hill sustained significant bruising all over her body from the fall. Photo / Christine Hill
She said the bus driver came over to check on her, but did not seem concerned and did not offer an apology.
“He sort of stood there while the lady was checking on me, and then he asked if I needed to go to hospital, but I was able to move so I didn’t seek medical care.”
She said the driver told her he could not see her or her grandson.
“He said, ‘There are no cameras, so I have no way of knowing,’ and said he pulled out quickly because he spotted a space in the traffic.”
Christine Hill and her grandson Bronson were enjoying a day out when a sudden stop caused them to fly down some bus stairs. Photo / Christine Hill
The incident had now put her off using the No 18 bus.
“I don’t use that bus at all anymore. I take a different one that’s actually less direct and harder for me to use.
“I don’t think my grandson will want to go on another double-decker, or maybe even a standard bus, any time soon.”
She contacted Auckland Transport and said that, while its staff were “very empathetic and sorry”, the complaint was immediately passed to Kinetic, which have not contacted her.
Auckland Transport service operations manager Duncan McGory told the Herald all drivers operating double-decker and single-story buses were trained to make sure people had sat down or, if standing, were holding onto a support handle.
“In the case of people moving up and down the stairs of a double-decker bus, the drivers have CCTV internally that show them if people are moving up and down the stairs. Drivers are trained to not move off a stop if people are still navigating the stairwell on these buses.
“In this instance, the expected process was not followed, and the incident has been addressed with the operator.”
