Anger over bus pass decision

A father from Heywood has been left disappointed and disheartened by Rochdale Borough Council in relation to the issuing of school bus passes.

The man’s daughter has been refused a bus pass and has been told by the council that the reason for the refusal was because she should have gone to the school closest to her home, and the school the bus pass is needed for, is not the closest school.

However, the family is aware that another child who lives very close by and is also attending the same school has been given a bus pass.

Andrew Corns is a single parent and is trying to do his best for his daughter. He cannot understand why the bus pass has been refused.

With the support of Mr Corns' mother, Marian Corns the family have appealed the decision but the council has still not revoked their decision.

Mrs Corns said: “We are very upset about this.”

Following reading about the Corns’ predicament on the Rochdale Online forum, Rochdale Online contacted the council to find out the reason for this decision.

Ann Tipton, Service Director, Learners & Young People said: Unfortunately, the information provided by the parent gives only part of the story. We cannot comment on the circumstances of individual children but the Council’s published policy has been followed in the decisions that have been made about bus passes.

“If there are exceptional circumstances, parents can appeal against a decision to refuse a bus pass but we have not received anything that means we should override the normal policy in this case.”

Mrs Corns added: “Joe Tennant, RMBC, on the 8 September admitted in an e-mail to Andrew that they had issued bus passes to this school - hard to deny when we knew someone who had one - but it does show the inconsistency of the Council.

“I have been as open and frank about the issue, I just wish the Council would be equally frank about their reasons for refusal instead of hiding behind 'secrecy' as the usual excuse.”