Northern Ireland

Bus driver praised after taking detour to ensure passenger saw elderly mother after Covid vaccine

Alec Bailey came to the aid of the distraught woman who had boarded the wrong bus
Alec Bailey came to the aid of the distraught woman who had boarded the wrong bus Alec Bailey came to the aid of the distraught woman who had boarded the wrong bus
By Suzanne McGonagle

A BUS driver has been praised for his "spirit" after he took a detour to get a lost passenger to her elderly mother who had just received the coronavirus vaccine.

Alec Bailey, a long-serving Translink employee, came to the aid of the distraught woman who had boarded the wrong bus on Wednesday.

Jacqueline Mason was on her way to see her 79-year-old mother Eileen McGrugan at a residential care home on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast when the drama unfolded.

Her mother had been among one of the first residents at Bradley Manor care home to get the first Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

But during the journey to the home, Ms Mason burst into tears when she realised her error and thought she wouldn't be able to make on time for the 30 minute visit time.

She said Mr Bailey asked her if she was on the wrong bus.

"I started crying and said 'I'm not too sure'," she told Sky News.

"He said I can drop you here or I can drop you there."

Ms Mason said it wasn't long before the 11B Translink bus driver informed other passengers and changed his route to come to aid.

"I don't know this side of town at all - and he asked the people on the bus did they mind if he took a short detour and he took me to the roundabout just at the top here and then I was able to get here on time to see mummy," she said.

She added: "I would like to say thank you very much Alec, you've made my day".

Chris Conway, Translink group chief executive, also praised Mr Bailey's action.

"I am proud of Alec Bailey for going above and beyond to help Jacqueline," he said.

"Alec exemplifies the spirit and resilience of the Translink team.

"He is a long serving member of staff who has been working throughout the pandemic, going out of his way to ensure key and essential workers, education and communities stay connected.

"I’m delighted that we were able to help in this case.

"I would also like to thank our passengers on this bus for their support and goodwill."