Passenger FURIOUS after being charged an eye-watering £3,500 for bus ticket

A bus passenger has been left furious after a routine bus ride turned into a financial nightmare.

Gareth, 42, boarded his bus in Colchester and paid for a day ticket using his bank card, expecting the usual fare of £5.50. However, when he sat down and checked his banking app, he discovered he had been charged a jaw-dropping £3,521.60.

“For a moment, I genuinely thought I’d somehow purchased the entire bus,” Gareth admitted. “I checked the small print, half-expecting it to say, ‘Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of a 2011 double-decker with faulty suspension.’”

Baffled by the error, he immediately approached the driver who allegedly shrugged and blamed the astronomical charge on a “fault with the ticket machine”. He then instructed Gareth to return to his seat.

Gareth's day ticket, costing over £3,500

“I don’t know if it was a fault or if they’re using some sort of new pricing model, but this is ridiculous! I’m going five miles down the road, not to the moon!” Gareth continued.

“I rely on the bus to get to work, but this has me eyeing my old bike in the shed. Or maybe I’ll swim the River Colne — either way, it’d be less stressful than dealing with First!”

Fellow passengers were equally bewildered. One commuter, who wished to remain anonymous, suggested First was experimenting with a "mystery fare system."

"They just roll a dice and charge you whatever comes up," they said. "Next time, it could be a tenner or the GDP of a small nation.”

Reports suggest that Gareth is not alone in experiencing bizarre overcharges. Social media has been flooded with posts from other passengers claiming they have been charged everything from £75 for a single stop to £12,000 for a weekly ticket.

Replying to Gareth’s Facebook post, one unlucky traveller reported that her card was declined after a £5,000 charge, at which point the driver simply wished her "better luck next time."

First Essex, ever faithful to their favourite catchphrase, issued an apology to Gareth. A spokesperson said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this operational issue and are working to resolve it as soon as possible.”

When pressed on how such an error could occur, they added: “Our team is investigating the issue and remains committed to moving the everyday in Essex.”

In other words: No Gareth, you’re not getting a refund anytime soon.

Experts are just as stunned as Gareth. Dr. Price, a transport economist at the University of Essex, commented on the matter: “While errors in pricing are not uncommon, charging someone nearly £4,000 for a bus ride is a bit much, even for inflation,” she said.

“At this rate, passengers might need a second mortgage just to get to work. Or perhaps First Essex will introduce a finance plan: ‘Pay £200 a month over the next 20 years, and we’ll throw in a free depot tour.’”

The incident has sparked wider conversations about public transport pricing and accountability. Many frustrated passengers argue that, given the frequency of delays and cancellations, First Essex should be paying them instead. One online petition titled "Make First Essex pay us to suffer" has already gathered thousands of signatures.

As for Gareth, he says he has one final plan: “If First doesn’t refund me, I might just list my seat on the bus as a rental on Rightmove. Given the housing market, someone’s bound to take it.”

Updates to follow as the saga unfolds.