Bus riders left stranded

DURHAM (WTVD) -- A trip to the state fair for some Durham bus riders ended with them stranded for hours and having to shell out extra cash just to get home.

Durham resident Doreen Frederick and her family were one of several families who say they were left out in the cold Sunday night, after spending a day at the state fair.

"We were cold we had been there for like six hours and there was no bus," she said.

The Durham Area Transit Authority offers shuttle service between downtown Durham and the fair, the bus was supposed to pick riders up at 7 p.m., but it never showed up.

"Waited until 7 p.m., still no bus 7:15, no bus, 7:20 no bus; we were standing out there for approx an hour and a half waiting for a bus that never showed," Frederick said.

A trip to the fair costs about $2 on the data bus, but for Frederick, they had to pay a lot more.

"We had to pull money together because we already at the fair which is pretty pricey and to have to spend 90 dollars just to get home," Frederick said.

Monday morning a group of riders met with bus officials, who say they simply made a mistake.

"We had a supervisor who didn't read the schedule appropriately therefore the bus came earlier than it was supposed to and it left," said Jerome Brown with GM Durham City Transit Company. "If we say we are going to leave the fair at 7 p.m. at night, that's what time we leave and we are going to have other supervisors out there every night to make sure this takes place."

Data bus officials plan to reimburse the Frederick's for their taxi fare and they will receive free bus passes for their inconvenience.

The shuttle service is available for the rest of the week.

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