This also happened to my children today, luckily I had not left and was still in my car. I got on the coach as I was beckoned over by my children, the driver said he would not take my eldest as she had no pass. I explained that we have been getting this very same coach for four years, we are near the end of term and he knows her and she must have had a pass in the weeks preceding. He didn’t care. He would have left a 4″ 10 girl on the side of the road with no way of getting home other than walking the three miles home as he had already said she should get off the bus before I got there and had no knowledge that she had anyone to take her home or any means of getting to school . He rang his boss whilst we were on the coach and then spoke in another language some of which was translated to me by a pupil on the bus – they had apparently checked which child it was and when it was know who it was, she was refused. Last month I made a complaint about this bus company as one driver had shut the doors on my child and she was hanging out the door as he drove off whilst she screamed. I think once they knew who it was they definitely were not going to let her on out of petty spite. I do agree with you though that there must be a better system and that the council are insistent that if you don’t have a pass you don’t get on.

What about a list of children who have up to date passes issued termly by the council that drivers keep so that in the event of the occasional lost pass they can check if the child has paid. This would be simple to implement and would prevent children being left vulnerable. Only a few months ago a man in a van was taking pictures at the bus stop of the children. Need I say more.