Bus driver suspended for refusing to drive with gay pride colours because they ‘promoted homosexuality’

A bus driver has been suspended after allegedly refusing to drive a vehicle featuring rainbow colours in support of gay pride.

Passenger Rebecca Sears, 19, claimed a Konectbus driver had insisted on changing to a different vehicle because the one he was in “promoted homosexuality”.

She said she thought the bus driver, who appeared to be in his 50s and had grey hair, was referring to the vehicle’s service number which featured the colours of the gay pride rainbow flag.

Ms Sears said the incident happened when she was waiting at Norwich Bus Station on 9 August 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.

“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 had celebrated a Pride event on 27 July, two weeks before this incident.

As the driver swapped buses, Ms Sears reported what he had said to a worker at the station’s front desk.

She added: “I said to them that he had gone to swap buses and that it is ridiculous. 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 had been suspended and that it was investigating.

Ms Sears said: “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.”

The sixth form student, shared her experience on Twitter. She said: “I complained to the staff at the station and they were already aware of who I was talking about, so why has nothing been done?

“I’m aware everyone is entitled to their own views however, if you can’t do your job properly because of your bigotry, maybe you need rethink your choices.It’s 2019, people need to grow up and be more accepting.”

Konectbus replied to her tweets, writing: “Our management team has been made aware and it is being taken very seriously. We find this attitude, behaviour and level of customer service completely unacceptable.

“As a company we do not condone any behaviour from our drivers that does not support this view.

“The driver involved in this incident has been suspended and a full investigation is underway.”

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.

“The driver involved in this incident has been suspended and a full investigation is underway.”

SWNS