Kentish Express Ashford & District
Mum’s fury as daughter is turned off school bus
Amber, 13, was not given chance to show letter allowing her to travel
A mother is furious after her daughter was turfed off a school bus and left to find her own way home.
A Stagecoach driver refused to let Amber Fishlock, 13, on the bus from Woodchurch to Homewood School, Tenterden, because she did not have her bus pass.
She had a letter explaining that there was a delay in her pass arriving, but was not even given time to get it out of her bag last Wednesday morning.
Amber’s mother, Lisa Fishlock, of Fairfield Terrace, Hamstreet, said: “I am absolutely furious.
“Amber was left at the bus stop to find her own way home – anything could have happened to her.
“She could not contact me, so the first I knew was when I called Homewood to see if she had arrived as I was worried about the pass.
“They said Amber was not in school, so I drove to the bus stop and found her walking home really upset.”
Amber’s sister Elesha, 14, also goes to Homewood. Her bus pass for this term has also not arrived but she used her old pass and was allowed on the bus.
Amber had been using her old pass which she lost on Friday, September 11. Mrs Fishlock was advised by Homewood to write a letter for Amber, saying that the bus pass had been delayed, which she did.
Amber was allowed on the bus with the letter last Monday and Tuesday.
“I think it is disgusting,” said Mrs Fishlock. “Amber was not even given time to get the letter out of her bag. She should have been allowed on the bus. The school has been very good. It is not their fault.”
Amber said she set off to walk the four miles home after being unable to get through to her mother.
She said: “I tried to explain to the driver that I had a letter in my bag saying that my bus pass was on its way, but he didn’t listen. He said ‘I don’t understand you’ and basically told me to get off the bus.”
Amber and Elesha are driven to the bus stop at Woodchurch by Mrs Fishlock, who then takes her other children Keira, seven, and Ella, to Hamstreet Primary School.
Mrs Fishlock’s husband Terry has psoriatic arthritis, a condition that has resulted in severe joint inflammation, and he is disabled.
Elesha and Amber are registered carers, and although Mrs Fishlock applied for the bus passes before KCC’s July 17 deadline, they had to be verified by Kent Young Carers, which authorised free bus passes for the girls.