A Tall order!

BIG PROBLEM: Nathan Dawson at 6ft 2ins tall has trouble persuading bus drivers that he is just a schoolboy, even in uniform. Picture by ANTHONY MILLER

6ft 2in schoolboy has ticket to ride but misses the bus

Getting on a bus to school is a tall order for 6ft 2in teenager Nathan Dawson.

Despite showing his bus pass and birth certificate, and wearing his Radclyffe School uniform, Nathan (15) says he has been ordered off the bus near his Fitton Hill home.

Mum Angela, of Westerhill Road, claims it could be down to her son’s height and said he has been refused up to nine times in four weeks.

Radclyffe School confirmed to the Chronicle that they have had ‘issues’ relating to other older pupils being refused access on First buses.

Assistant Headteacher, Jane Wornick, said: “It is important to the school that the pupils get into school on time each day. We will be raising the issue with First soon.”

Angela pays up to £10 a week for Nathan’s fares — plus a one-off payment for his IGO identity card.

She said: “He is a good kid and he has not caused any trouble.

“I don’t know if it is his height of 6ft 2ins that’s the problem, but he wears his uniform, has his pass and he has still not been allowed on.

“He lost it once last week and we went all the way down to Manchester to get a new one.

“They said it will come out in the post soon, so they stamped a receipt for him. Even showing this and his birth certificate made no difference.”

The IGO Pass, worth £5, replaced the old ID-16 card in Greater Manchester, which proves that a child is between 11 to 16 years of age.

A First spokesman confirmed Nathan is in the process of ordering a new IGO card via Transport for Greater Manchester.

He said: “When ordering this replacement card he was wrongly advised that if he showed his receipt to bus drivers then he could travel for a child’s fare until his new IGO card arrived.

“This error was compounded by one of our drivers who sold him a weekly child ticket, which has since been refused by other drivers.

“We have spoken to Mrs Dawson to clear this matter up and have sent Nathan two complimentary adult week vouchers for use over the next couple of weeks until his new IGO card arrives.”