Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about public transport because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr Y complained the Council provided incorrect and misleading information to a local bus company about a road closure and bus diversion, which later did not occur.
2. Mr Y says he missed an appointment in his local town centre, spent money on cinema tickets he was later unable to attend and wasted his time.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information Mr Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss of injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
6. Mr Y says he missed an appointment, costing him £25, and was unable to see a film at the cinema, for which he had bought tickets costing £20, as a result of the issue. While Mr Y may feel strongly and feels his time was wasted, this is not a significant enough injustice to justify use of public funds to investigate. It is not a serious loss or harm. Consequently, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman