InterCity has publicly apologised after a bus driver abandoned an 83-year-old man mid-journey following a fall.

The man was travelling from Christchurch to Nelson on Friday when he fell during a food stop in Kaikōura.

A family member wrote on a public Facebook page, “He got off the bus in Kaikōura for a snack, and on the way back to the bus, he fell over. The bus driver did not let him back on because he was seen as a liability and left him there with his luggage. [sic] Who tf does this?”

“Thankfully, two wonderful ladies who own a business in the township saw the whole debacle and took care of him. Soon after, they drove him to my house in Blenheim, and I took him to Nelson.

“Is this an acceptable practice? This is not bloody on. Our elderly are precious, and this is no way to treat anyone. His independence, while he still has it, is deeply important to him. I think he’s owed more than just a full refund, don’t you think?”

An InterCity spokesperson responded, saying, “We’re really concerned about this issue, and thank you for your email.

“We have begun an immediate investigation. We are seeking feedback from the driver of this service and will be in contact with you via email tomorrow.

The care and safety of our passengers is our top priority.”

The family member said on Monday afternoon, “InterCity has not apologised to my father-in-law directly; they commented on my post that they will be in contact via email, and I am yet to hear from them.”

In a statement sent to chrislynchmedia.com on Monday afternoon, InterCity said, “This is deeply concerning, and we apologise unreservedly to the customer for the experience he has had on our service, which is unacceptable.

“We have spoken with the passenger to check on his welfare and to offer a full refund.

We are looking into this matter to understand how this happened and will determine the next steps from there. Customer care and safety are our top priorities, and it appears we have not met our own standards in this instance.”