Texts at the wheel: A driver at one point had both hands on his mobile as his coach full of passengers travelled at 60mph
Staring at his mobile phone, this is the horrifying moment a driver texts at the while while his coach full of passengers hurtles along the motorway at 60mph.
Holidaymakers travelling from London to Belgium were blissfully unaware of the immediate danger they were in as the Dutch has his eyes fixed on the screen.
At one point the driver was so engrossed in his phone that he had both hands on the handset.
A passenger sat near the front filmed him as their coach began swerving erratically across lanes on the M20.
Describing it as ‘the journey from hell’ Alex Hoyos said their seven-hour trip was delayed by four hours after the driver stopped at a service station – then drove off, leaving behind five passengers.
‘I was convinced we were going to crash so I couldn’t relax,’ Mr Hoyos, 27, told MailOnline. ‘It was a journey from hell. The driver was swerving into different lanes on the motorway and he didn’t leave his phone alone during the trip.
‘No one said anything to the driver, so he just carried on using his phone. I spoke to another passenger and they said they thought he was tired. But I can’t believe that he showed such a blatant disregard for all of his passengers.’
Horror: Holidaymakers travelling from London to Belgium on the Ouibus service were blissfully unaware of the immediate danger they were in as the Dutch has his eyes fixed on the screen
Distracted: The driver seemed engrossed in his mobile phone as he drove down the M20 to Folkestone (left). A passenger sat near the front filmed him as their coach began swerving erratically across lanes on the motorway
Complaint: Describing it as ‘the journey from hell’, IT trainer Alex Hoyos, 27, said their seven-hour trip was delayed by a further four hours after the driver stopped at a service station – then drove off, leaving behind five passengers. He filmed the driver as the coach swayed erratically
Mr Hoyos, an IT trainer, from London, who was travelling to visit family in Brussels on Saturday, is demanding his £60 fare back from coach operator, Omnibus.
The father-of-two went on: ‘He should be sacked after putting us all through that. There should be better regulations and protection for passengers and other road users and we should all get our money back. I won’t be using Ouibus again, that’s for sure.’
As well as having to endure 11 hours of dangerous driving, angry Mr Hoyos said their coach toilet was out of order and they arrived late after the driver left passengers behind at a service station near the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone.
He only realised they were missing when border control staff informed him that they had five passports for passengers who were no on board.
They turned back to collect them and missed their crossing to Calais.
‘It was one thing after another,’ Mr Hoyos went on. ‘The driver looked tired. He was due to drive on to Amsterdam after he dropped us off to pick some more people up.
‘I heard say to his bosses that he was late because he had to keep stopping as the toilet on the bus wasn’t working. But the real reason was because he left people behind and we missed our train to France.’
Mr Hoyos, whose family is Colombian but who was born in Belgium and has lived in the UK since he was three, booked his weekend trip last minute so he could visit his aunt Luzdari Gallego alone and bring two suitcases of clothing back. His mother, Gloria Hoyos, is donating them to those in need in Medellin, Colombia.
Traumatic journey: Father-of-two Mr Hoyos, from London, who was travelling to visit family in Brussels on Saturday, is demanding his £60 fare back from coach operator, Omnibus
Awful trip: As well as enduring 11 hours of dangerous driving, the coach toilet was out of order and they arrived four hours late after the driver left passengers behind at a service station
He had planned to spend Saturday visiting other relatives that he hasn’t seen for years. But after the trauma of the journey and its delays, all he could do after arriving was to pack up the suitcases and to return to London the following day.
He was back at work on Monday where he teaches how to fix computer problems.
Mr Hoyos said: ‘It was a journey from hell. The driver was swerving into different lanes on and he didn’t leave his phone alone at all’
He said: ‘When I spoke to another passenger they thought that he must have been tired too. I wasn’t brave enough to confront him, all I could was film what was happening. Maybe everyone else was too scared to say anything as well.
‘I was scared, stressed and late arriving to see my aunt. But I’m relieved I made it in one piece after that journey. He could have killed all of us and others.’
A Ouibus spokeswoman said: ‘I can assure you that Ouibus takes safety very seriously and that using phones while driving is strictly forbidden for all of our drivers.
‘Following this passenger feedback, we will investigate the issue with this driver and take disciplinary measures if necessary.’
It is illegal to hold a mobile phone, to call or to text, while driving in the UK.
Drivers can get six penalty points, a ban and a fine of up to £2,5000 for using a handset at the wheel.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘Driving is a complex task which requires all of our attention. Distractions at the wheel cost lives and should be avoided at all costs, particularly using hand-held phones, which is illegal.
‘The RAC, in conjunction with the Department for Transport and the National Police Chiefs Council, has launched a Be Phone Smart campaign, encouraging drivers to promise on social media that they won’t use their hand-held mobile whilst driving. For further information, visit our website at www.rac.co.uk/bephonesmart.’
Ouibus, a French company owned by SNCF and based in Paris, claims to offer hassle-free transport in France and Europe, has so far not responded to MailOnline.
Its website claims the firm provides ‘safe, comfortable, four-star coaches with power outlets, toilets, and wifi.’
The low cost coach company covers 130 routes, including 46 in France such as Paris, Marseille and Lille from €9 one way, and to 11 European cities from €15, including Paris to Brussels and Lille to London.