Mum's fury as driver turns away boy, 11, from school bus for bizarre reason

He is aged 11 and wears a school uniform.
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But this child was refused a place on the bus to school because he didn’t have a card to prove he was a schoolboy.

Lewis Kendall was waiting for the number 15 bus on Beckett Road in his Hall Cross School blazer and tie.

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But when the bus arrived the driver insisted Lewis must produce a card issued to children to prove they are under 16 and still in education, if he was going to get on with his child’s prepaid ticket.

Lewis Kendall, 11, pictured on  Beckett Road.Lewis Kendall, 11, pictured on  Beckett Road.
Lewis Kendall, 11, pictured on Beckett Road.

Lewis did not have it – and was thrown off the vehicle.

He was finally able to get to school after getting a lift from a relative.

Mum, Becky Houghton, and grandmother, Trish Houghton, are angry over the incident, which follows another problem where he was trying to get on a bus home from school in Bessacarr, where a pre-paid card would not register on the drivers machine. They said he had to pay 80p again, even though he had the receipt for the card. That prompted him to start using a phone based ticket.

They also say the 15 service is too often late, and six weeks ago he nearly missed a school trip after having to run to school when one did not turn up.

Trish Houghton, pictured with her grandson Lewis Kendall, 11.Trish Houghton, pictured with her grandson Lewis Kendall, 11.
Trish Houghton, pictured with her grandson Lewis Kendall, 11.
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Becky said: “I was fuming when I heard Lewis had been refused on the bus over the card. He was standing there in his school uniform, for goodness sake. He’s only 11 – he doesn’t look 16. They must have been able to clearly see he was a schoolboy under that age. I think the driver let him down.”

Peter Oakshott, operations manager in Doncaster for First South Yorkshire said: “The rules for confirming passengers who are entitled to concession fares are set by the local transport authority and our drivers follow these. But it is also our policy not to prevent vulnerable passengers, including children, from boarding a bus and we are investigating why this didn’t happen.”

He wants to speak to Mrs Houghton to remedy the situation, adding the number 15 was a cross-town service that could get caught up in congestion