Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to publicise closure of bus stops and diversions of bus routes because of road works. We do not consider the complainant has suffered sufficient personal injustice to warrant our involvement. Also further investigation will not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to ensure notices were placed on bus stops advising the public of bus stop closures and diversions while road works were taking place. He says this had the potential to cause him to miss a hospital appointment.
2. He wants the Council to ensure that in the event of future road works all affected bus stops display information including details of the revised route, and any changes to service times.

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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, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X wrote to the Council complaining it had failed to ensure details of changes to bus routes and closure of stops was displayed on bus stops. He says this caused him to almost miss an important hospital appointment. He only made the appointment because a friend was able to take him .
7. He demanded the Council ensure the information is displayed on all affected bus stops when diversions are in place.
8. The Council wrote to Mr X saying this was a request for service and was not accepted as a complaint. In the letter it provided him with details on how to contact the relevant service online. It also provided a telephone number for Mr X to call if he had no internet access.
9. Mr X chose not to telephone the relevant department, instead complaining that the Council was fixated on internet access, which breached the Equality Act.
10. The Council provided a telephone number for Mr X to call if he could not (or did not want to) contact it online. It advised Mr X to contact the department for roads, travel, and parking, explaining the request for information for diversions etc was a service request and it was not accepted as a complaint.
11. I understand Mr X must have found the lack of information about the bus diversion and bus stop closures frustrating and concerning, given he was trying to get to a hospital appointment. However, he confirms a friend was able to take him and he was able to attend.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because :
• we do not consider he suffered a significant personal injustice which warrants an investigation; and
• as Mr X can ask the relevant department to ensure information about diversions and closures is placed at bus stops, we consider further investigation will not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman