Chaos as bus driver gets lost after being told by boss to ‘go the extra mile’

Commuters were left stranded and bewildered yesterday after a First Essex bus was discovered deep in a remote forest, 20 miles off its designated route.

The confusion arose after the driver, instructed by his supervisor to "go the extra mile" in response to recent poor performance, took the directive a little too literally.

Passengers on the S1 service, which was supposed to be making a routine trip through Colchester, initially assumed the slight diversion was due to roadworks. However, concern began to set in when the bus veered off established roads entirely, travelling further into dense woodland with no sign of returning to civilisation.

"I just wanted to get to work," said one exasperated passenger. "But suddenly, we’re dodging trees and heading deeper into the forest. Someone asked the driver where we were going, and he just said, ‘Going the extra mile, mate. Orders from above.’"

Attempts to turn the vehicle around proved futile when the bus became lodged between two towering oak trees, effectively stranding everyone on board. With no mobile signal and no immediate rescue in sight, passengers were left to consider whether they had unknowingly booked a one-way trip into the wilderness.

A spokesperson for First Essex later confirmed that the incident was a result of "an unfortunate miscommunication" and assured the public that "lessons would be learned."

"We regularly encourage our drivers to go the extra mile in terms of customer service," the statement read. "However, in this case, the phrase was interpreted rather more literally than intended. We would like to apologise to our customers for this operational issue."

The driver, who remains unnamed, is reportedly unharmed but "deeply committed to following instructions". When questioned about the misadventure, he simply shrugged and said, "I thought they wanted me to show initiative."

Stranded passengers were eventually rescued after a local hiker stumbled across the bus and raised the alarm. Many were left questioning whether they would ever trust public transport again.

"First Essex tells us to expect delays, but I never thought I'd end up lost in a forest because of motivational management techniques," one commuter remarked.

While the company has yet to confirm whether the driver will face disciplinary action, reports suggest First Essex is now reviewing how it phrases feedback to staff. Internal sources claim that supervisors have been specifically advised to avoid metaphors, for fear of further incidents.

As for the bus, it remains wedged in the forest, with efforts to retrieve it ongoing. A spokesperson from First Essex admitted that while the vehicle may be out of service for the foreseeable future, "on the bright side, it's currently producing zero emissions."