Driver who 'refused to drive bus that promoted gay pride' is suspended
A bus driver has been suspended after he refused to drive a vehicle that featured the colours of gay pride because it “promoted homosexuality”.
Passenger Rebecca Sears, 19, claimed the Konectbus driver took offence to the to the vehicle's service number, which featured the rainbow colours of the gay pride flag, and insisted on swapping buses.
Rebecca said the incident happened whilst she was waiting at Norwich Bus Station on Friday, August 9, for the 501 park and ride service.
She said: "He said we have to wait a minute, he said I am not driving this bus because it promotes homosexuality.
"I was standing with two other women and we kind of thought he was joking, in a weird way. Like we were just thinking is it really that big of a deal.
"I thought it was all just quite bad, it made us 10 minutes late - which isn't bad when its more a legit reason, but for that sort of reason it is."
Norwich town celebrated a Pride event on 27 July shortly before the incident.
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As the driver went to change vehicles, she then went to the bus station's front desk to report what had happened.
She added: "I said to them that he had gone to swap buses and that it is ridiculous because that is just a ridiculous reason.
"You are stopping people from getting home for such a ridiculous reason. It is really bad."
Go East Anglia, which runs the Konectbus service, said the driver involved has been suspended and that a full investigation was under way.
Rebecca said as she was speaking to the desk, he had managed to swap buses and started allowing passengers on.
She added: "I just hope that he hasn't said that in front of somebody that is gay.
"I would hate to think he would say something to them.
"He didn't know if I was gay or the other two women I was with. He just outright said it."
A spokesperson for Go East Anglia said: "We particularly want all customers of whatever background or sexual orientation to feel comfortable on our services.
"As a company we do not condone any behaviour from our drivers that does not support this view.”
