Angry passengers were left freezing and frightened after their bus broke down on the motorway hard shoulder (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=18992232&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922Eventually a passing Highways Agency patrol saw them huddled together behind the crash barrier on the M5 near Cribbs Causeway and took them to safety.
The eight passengers had all been on First's X14 Newport to Bristol service on Thursday afternoon which had already experienced problems and broken down three times before it finally refused to budge.
As smoke poured from the rear engine compartment , passengers were told to get off the bus.
They claim that the bus driver told them a replacement bus was unavailable and they would have to walk off the motorway.
Passenger Kevin Clayton from Whitchurch said: "I asked the driver if he could ask for another bus to be sent to collect us, but he said that First would not send another bus, just a recovery truck."
A spokeswoman for First said: "An alternative First bus had been instructed to collect the passengers."
"The Highways Agency also assisted in this incident and on this particular occasion transferred the passengers. First would like to apologise for any inconvenience."
Mr and Mrs Clayton , whose ticket should have taken them to Bristol's bus station , had to take two buses from Cribbs to get home , arriving back in Whitchurch at about 8.30pm. A journey that should have taken about three hours took closer to five.
