firstbus.co.uk Reviews 

Buses are either early so you miss them because you're assuming the time table is correct or so late you start tonhoneslry consider the £15 taxi faire worth it. Get the drivers to follow the time table! Also make the timetable correct the number of times the paper timetable has told something totally different to the machine saying what buses are due is ridiculous. Next time drivers go on strike coz they want a pay raise, tell em to do their job properly and maybe they'll get one.

Possibly one of the worst companies ever to exist! I’m constantly waiting around for a bus - incapable of running on time. Tends to cancel buses regularly without any warning on their social media pages. The lack of response from the customer service team on Twitter is literally non existent. What the hell are they being paid for? Keep upping prices of tickets but cutting services and routes. Makes no sense! Drivers think it’s okay to stop at bus stops to have a cigarette or even going to the toilet behind bus stops then getting back on the bus to drive. Very unhygienic. I have honestly seen public transport function better in third world countries with more professionalism. I get the bus Monday-Friday twice a day, and I tend to have issues at least once a day with 3 different services.

The website traveline.info showed 99 bus from Waterloo Road, Lowestoft, at 1744 on Saturday 28 September 2024 arriving at Suffolk Wildlife Park, Kessingland, at 1802.

At 1737, I went to the Waterloo Road bus stop. Even though it is very user unfriendly, the First Bus App on my smartphone showed the 99 bus arriving at 1744, then, closer to the time, ‘Due’. After 10 minutes, by 1754, it had not appeared. I paid £13.00 for a taxi instead.

This is very far from the only time I have seen ‘phantom buses’ on the First Bus App, that, like the 99 bus, then evaporate and never appear even 10 minutes after they are due. The 99 bus starts at Stand 7 at the Bus Station and makes 2 stops before Waterloo Road.

It must have been known, therefore, that the bus was cancelled before 1744. Why then was it shown as due? Had it been shown as cancelled, I would not have wasted 17 minutes outside waiting for this wraith of a bus not to appear. I could have ordered a taxi at 1738 and arrived on time for my event.

Two points:

1. Make the App customer-friendly and as easy to use as a Google search that sometimes produces quicker and better results.
2. Stop showing buses as ‘due’, when, 10 minutes after the due time, they have still not appeared and, so, make the App completely trustworthy.

Politicians like the mayor of west yorkshire like to brag about keeping bus travel affordable but fail to address the bus companies not adhering to their contract and bus schedules. This means that the public has nowhere to go to address transport needs. First make profit by dropping service frequency and the politicians have already reaped the good news story in the papers. #facelesssociety

My ten-year-old son used to travel to the school by bus last school year. The company amended the bus timetable and cancelled one bus route: the only one bus that my son was able to get to the school with. However, the timetable information located in the physical bus stop is still the old one, so the company deceive the customers. I complained and emphasized that my son and a lot of other children this bus route the only option to get the school by bus but giving them a feedback was more important to them than solving the problem.

The most unreliable bus service in the whole of Britain is first bus in Aberdeen absolutely rubbish

Very unreliable bus service, I have to use the early morning bus to get to Taunton to then later get another bus to Yeovil as there are no direct buses from Ilminster to Yeovil as I have tried to get on the 10.01 bus during term holiday with a buggy, as I am a single mother and was turned away on all occasions due to wheelchair users being on all occasion or not enough space for another buggy, then waited for the 7.46 bus in the morning in the hope I could get on but there are no 7.46 service at all. If I don't get the early morning buses then I can't get any other bus as I will be stranded in Taunton which will cost me £30 in taxi fare, there are no point for buses if they are unreliable and late all the time. People have appointments and time is precious to them so you would expect bus service providers to make sure they can provide for all customers.

Not even worth one star, appalling service buses don’t run on time routes get redirected without notice and revenue officers make random checks and no help is available to repeal a ticket

Bus services should operate as per the nursery rhyme …. but this is definitely not the case in respect of the truly dreadful First Bus/First Essex!

First Bus/First Essex are by a long distance the most appalling and disgraceful company in the UK for service delivery, customer services response and complaints handling!

There is no surprise at all that the Trust Pilot score for First Bus/First Essex is barely 1 out of 5.

I am sure that many reviewers here would give them 0 out of 5 if they were able to.

This is what customers, who are held in complete disregard and contempt by First Bus/First Essex, are forced to endure, despite repeated complaints for month after month:

• Daily delays to services

• Daily cancellations of services

• Amended or re-routed services with departure points different to those published in timetables and confirmed on departure boards and on the app

• Unhelpful, sullen and rude drivers other than a minority of exceptions (mainly female drivers)

• Poor and unsafe driving standards including aggressive driving, speeding and ignoring red traffic lights

• Buses departing from the wrong stands at bus stations

• Buses failing to stop when requested to do so by customers at bus stops or on the buses themselves

• Mechanical issues resulting in breakdowns and delays and cancellations due to the old fleet and presumably inadequate maintenance and servicing

• Filthy dirty buses internally and externally despite claims that they are cleaned every morning before being put in to service plus a deep clean every month

• Freezing cold buses during the winter months and very hot buses in the summer due to a complete lack of any temperature control

• Lack of or a poorly performing wi-fi service on buses and no service at bus stations

• An utterly useless First Bus app which shows “phantom buses” en-route that never arrive or which fails to track buses that do actually arrive (usually late!)

• The complete absence of any information or advice to customers at Basildon and Chelmsford bus stations regarding any amended and re-routed services, delays and cancellations

• An X social media feed which claims to provide information or advice to customers regarding any amended and re-routed services, delays and cancellations but frequently doesn’t even during its part-time hours

• A “Customer Complaints Charter” published on the First Bus website which is a work of fiction given the failure to meet promised service standards and response times for formally submitted complaints (if a response is actually received at all)

• Vague, meaningless or factually incorrect scripted copy and paste excuses such as “operational issues” and “factors beyond our control” provided by both the X team and the Contact Centre in responses to issues and complaints raised by customers

• Faux apologies provided by both the X team and the Contact Centre which casually dismiss repeated and ongoing service failures to be just a mere “inconvenience”

• Repeated promises, assurances and commitments regarding action and improvement provided by both the X team and the Contact Centre and senior executives and managers that are rarely delivered

• No delay/repay scheme and a refusal to compensate customers for any costs arising from their service failures such as having to take very expensive taxis following the unexplained cancellation of the last bus services of the night

In their “Conditions of Travel”, First Bus/First Essex explicitly refuse to accept any responsibility >>> “We shall not be liable and will not accept claims for direct or indirect losses, damages, cost or inconvenience that you suffer as a result of cancellation, delay, diversion or termination of any of our services, or of our services being unavailable to you as a result of the vehicle being fully loaded, at capacity or for any other reasons.”

• The blocking and banning of customers on X who dare to raise issues and complaints rather than proactively and constructively dealing with the multiple issues and complaints brought to their attention every single day by customers

Train operating companies are far from perfect but they perform significantly better than First Bus/First Essex in respect of almost all these issues referred to above.

As with most bus operators, First Bus/First Essex are totally unaccountable and unregulated with no public oversight and scrutiny.

First Bus/First Essex just do as they please with no sanctions for their appalling and disgraceful service performance, customer services and complaints handling.

That is totally unacceptable.

The needs and expectations of local people and local communities, who rely on good bus services, are being totally disregarded.

We have a new Government.

CUSTOMERS SHOULD DEMAND CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT!

Not allowing complaints
They are massaging the figures by not allowing you to make a legitimate complaint
They drove past a stop with multiple people to pick up.
When I called to complain they took ages and did not log the complaint saying the driver was not scheduled to stop there
The monitor clearly stated that he was so they lied
The agent I spoke to was a dhead
If I could score nothing that's what they would get
Disgusting all round
They would not exist without paying customers
Very poor and pissed me right off

Dave Talbot was amazing tonight, he's in charge of break down and I lost my phone.
He went through leaps and bounds to get the phone back and when an innocent bystander picked up my phone he drove me there to pick it up.
He really cared about me in that situation and it was very early in the morning and that's what anyone needs when they lose something quite precious
Thank you so much, it means so much.

Having left my Wallet on AirPort 500 Express first bus service containing cash and credit cards etc the honest bud driver handed it in late on Friday evening and was informed Monday morning of it being held safely at the bus depot. This is incredible service and I cannot thank First bud and the driver enough for the excellent customer service and honesty shown. Simply amazing.

First Bus driver on Number 57 time on bus 7:55pm from Shawland Arcade to Pollokshaws arrived at Pollokshaws west
When a passenger stands at door bus should stop this female driver just drove on then proceeded to say to me in arrogant attitude you not press the bell then started shaking her head totally bad angry attitude about her
All I wanted was to get off not be lectured by a driver
Description of driver
Female
Dark skin black hair
Dark eyes
She had a bad attitude about her when getting on the bus she should be sacked that is no way to treat a fair paying passenger if she is having a bad day don’t take it out on other her people
Her jacket was obscuring her view of passengers waiting to get off
This woman should be sacked for her attitude
I have never treated like this by any First Bus driver people like that should not be allowed to work with the public I point black refuse to be talked like this you want to get off a bus without any problems not face a female driver with a serious attitude problem if she hates her job go change another let passengers finish their working day without coming in contact with first bus employees with a clear attitude problem towards the public

Horrible bus company, buses never turn up when they should, drivers not stopping at bus stops when passengers request, miserable, misanthropic, hateful and cold hearted, bad drivers. How this company get away with their "service" is beggars belief. Got some dodgy politicians in their pocket no doubt.

The first bus of the day and they cancell the 8 to caister. Making people wait another 45 minutes and late for work. Is totally unacceptable.

On 15/04/2024 on the 41 bus, Norwich. My purse was stolen out of my bag by someone travelling the same route. A route I have to travel every day and am now left feeling unsafe. When I contacted first bus, they treated it as a lost item. They said “it can take up to 7 days to find your item, other wise report it to the police but we only keep CCTV for 14 days” I emailed them and requested for them to keep to cctv so police can look but they refused. So they give the police 7 days to investigate a crime. After the 7 days, my purse wasn’t found so I immediately contacted the police, the police contacted first and first took 3 weeks to respond! So obviously by then any evidence had been deleted. Convenient? I contacted first writing a formal complaint that their company makes it extremely easy for thieves and other criminals to get away with crimes… and their response “any property that a passenger chooses to take on the bus is their responsibility”. In other words, first refuses to help or investigate stolen items taken on their bus because it’s the victims fault they were stolen in the first place. This is a nation wide bus company that should feel safe? But they don’t care about their passengers and their safety as long as we are lining their pockets. So was is the point in CCTV there you ask? No idea, I’m guessing to protect the bus driver as it certainly isn’t there to protect the passengers. 2 weeks they keep cctv and they refuse to keep it for police so I’m wondering if just there for show? Honesty, one of the worst companies I’ve had to with. Just make sure you stay extra vigilant because you won’t get any justice otherwise.

At £10 per person, taking the 500 bus to Glasgow airport is only worth it if you go alone. For 2 or more people, just get an Uber or a private hire taxi. The price for this bus is daylight robbery.

It's no use to watch the electric bus notices in bus stop. Half of the time I faced "ghost bus" situation, scheduled a time but when the time dues, the record will suddenly disappear and you need to wait next bus. I am living in South West.

Unnecessary waiting on the 23A at heartsease roundabout this afternoon at 4.10pm. Waited 10 mins at the bus stop for no reason. We weren't even early, bus running late because of driver hand over at Castle Meadow. This company need to give extra training to their drivers as the one today hasn't got a clue. Sort it out First!

Tonight was the second time I have been shouted at by rude, aggressive drivers. I dared to lift my card off the machine a second too early, the driver barked at me "get back here" and "have some patience"as he rolled his eyes.
A few weeks ago my sister and I were bawled at by the driver "YOU NEED TO MOVE NOW" when a passenger in a wheelchair boarded the bus. He actually came over to us to shout in front of the other passengers. We were happy to move, even though we were not near the wider access area, there was no need to shout at us in a rude, aggressive manner.
Absolutely disgusting lack of customer service or basic manners. The majority of drivers simply ignore you or grunt when you speak to them. Would give zero stars if possible.