The Runaway Bus

Cynthia Beeston, a vocal believer in Positive Thought, insists she must be moved from London Airport to Blackbushe so she can catch a flight to Dublin. Her bold demand kicks off the plan to escort her by road. The order to transport her sets the group on a fixed route before any fog interference.

Heavy fog blankets southern England, ruining the travellers' air plans. Airline staff scramble to find an alternative way to move people. The fog's persistence pushes the group into a road journey instead of flying.

Harassed airline employees arrange emergency relief coach 13 and hire driver Percy Lamb to transport Beeston and her companions. Percy proves terribly incompetent at navigation, highlighting why a coach is needed rather than a plane. The looming journey becomes a tense starting point for danger.

Beeston is joined by Henry Waterman, Janie Grey, and Ernest Schroeder, while stewardess Nikki Nicholls is appointed to shepherd the group. The makeshift cohort begins to assemble under the airline crew. Tension rises as the group prepares for a long roadside trip under uncertain conditions.

First officer Peter Jones hitchhikes a ride, adding his own expertise to the unlikely caravan. He becomes part of the passenger-driven mission and changes the dynamic of the group. His involvement foreshadows the unfolding twist about loyalties and control.

Robbers steal £200,000 in gold bullion from the airport bonded store and hide the proceeds in the coach's boot. The theft sets the central conflict in motion, linking the stranded travelers to a dangerous criminal plan. The police and airport security will later deduce that the gold is aboard the coach.

Two crooks are captured, and under Inspector Henley's questioning one breaks down and confesses that the gold is stowed on the coach and that the mastermind is the elusive Banker. The revelation reframes the journey as a pursuit rather than a simple transport job. The Inspector's radio message to Percy becomes the link between police and the road-bound crew.

Henley informs Percy about the gold and the Banker, but the fog makes it impossible to locate the coach. The communication failure increases the danger and uncertainty on the road. The audience watches as Percy tries to navigate while blind to the overall situation.

In a tense moment, Peter puts a gun against Percy's back and orders continued driving. The moment reveals shifting loyalties and heightens the tension aboard the coach. Schroeder's awareness of Peter's deceit foreshadows the eventual reveal of Peter's true role.

They end up at a deserted Army training village that is booby-trapped. The risk escalates as both criminals and authorities close in, and the group must rely on their wits to survive the trap. The isolated setting traps the characters in a critical confrontation.

Schroeder finds a Sten gun, Peter grabs it, but Schroeder explains the weapon is useless and pulls out his own pistol. A tense standoff tests who can be trusted, blurring lines between law and crime. The exchange clarifies which party each person truly belongs to.

In a climactic turn, Miss Beeston is revealed to be the Banker behind the gold scheme. Henry attempts to start the coach while the mastermind's true identity becomes public. The revelation shifts the balance of power on the vehicle and heightens the stakes.

Percy reveals that he had previously removed the rotor arm from the engine, which sabotages the coach's ability to escape. This preemptive sabotage becomes the key to neutralizing the threat and buys time for the others. The mechanical sabotage demonstrates Percy's cunning in a moment of crisis.

As Beeston's pistol looms, Percy uses a stone to knock the weapon from her hand, ending the danger. The action marks the turning point where the criminals lose the upper hand and the passengers regain control. The scene resolves the immediate conflict through a quick, decisive act.