Two men from Vancouver had a trip from hell after chartering a bus company that left them stranded in Kelowna.
According to a BC Civil Resolution Tribunal decision, two men ordered a bus through DW Cholin, which calls itself a low-cost charter on its website.
The pair who initiated the tribunal case against DW Cholin made several claims, including that the air conditioning wasn’t working for part of the trip, the driver was rude, and they refused to take the two men back to Vancouver. The trip took place between July 21 and 24, 2023.
In defence, the driver claimed the air conditioning was working and refused to drive the pair back because they damaged the bus.
“The applicants provided the respondent’s ‘Confirmed Order,’ showing the total cost was $4,137. The applicants paid the respondent $4,137 before the trip,” the tribunal decision states.
The applicants also said the bus needed repairs in Hope, BC, which delayed the trip by about an hour. Adding to their claims of the air conditioning not working, the two men who booked the trip claimed that the bus was sweltering between Hope and Kelowna.
“They say the bus driver was rude, aggressive, and made disparaging comments about their religion. The applicants provided their own witness statements and seven witness statements from members of the applicants’ church group to confirm this account,” the tribunal decision notes.
While the driver claimed that the air conditioning was working, the temperature inside the bus was still 25˚C because they also noted that it could only go 9˚C under the outside temperature, which at the time was 34˚C.
The tribunal member overseeing the case sided with the applicants.
“I accept that the air conditioning broke during the second half of the trip. The applicant provided emails from the bus driver which are rude, aggressive, and disparage the applicants’ religion. I find this reflects a pattern of behaviour, so I accept that the bus driver was rude, aggressive, and made disparaging comments about the applicants’ religion during the trip to Kelowna.”
The applicants were forced to hire another bus company to return to Vancouver because DW Cholin’s bus broke down in Kelowna.
“I do not accept the respondent’s allegations that the applicants or their church group damaged the bus, did not wear seat belts, or threatened the bus driver.”
Ultimately, the tribunal sided with the applicants and ordered the driver to pay $3,000 in damages plus $331.74 in tribunal fees.
Have you ever been on a trip from hell like this? Let us know in the comments. You can read the full decision online here.