Bus firm says CCTV footage challenges child injury claims
CCTV footage has shown no evidence of claims that a fouryear-old girl was injured as she got off a bus, operator First Glasgow has revealed.
Amy Mccallum had alleged her daughter was left with a bloodied face after falling over when the bus door closed, trapped her ankle.
She said four-year-old Victoria Rose Alton had been the victim of a row with the bus driver over her age as they travelled home from her first day at school.
Ms Mccallum said the driver thought her daughter was five because she was in school uniform, so was no longer eligible for free travel.
However, First said the CCTV footage showed the girl getting on and off the bus and onto the pavement with no sign of any fall or injury.
Bus firms have faced similar claims in the past and follow established procedures to review footage to check the truth of such allegations.
A spokesman for First Glasgow said today: “Following detailed examination of onboard CCTV footage and an interview with the driver, we have established that there is no evidence to support the allegations relating to the injury of the child.
“We have been in touch with the customer to advise her of our findings.”
First said it had “launched an immediate investigation into allegations from a customer that her four-year-old child was injured alighting from one of our No. 8 vehicles at Riddrie on Tuesday afternoon.
A spokesman for the operator said: “It was alleged the incident happened after the child’s mother had been involved in a verbal exchange with the driver about a child ticket.
“It was further alleged that when the child was alighting from the bus with her mother and sister, the driver closed the doors, causing the child to fall and suffer injury.
“It has been claimed that our driver then moved off, without providing assistance to the family.”
Ms Mccallum had previously said: “It could have been a lot worse as she could have gone under the bus, rather than falling on the pavement.
“He didn’t even ask if she was OK and just drove away.
“I believe he closed the door on the wean’s foot because I refused to pay for the ticket.
“My first priority was my daughter. Her lips are still sore and she has a graze on her ankle from where the door closed on it.
“She was hysterical and heartbroken. Her new school uniform was ruined with blood.”
adalton@scotsman.com