A NORTH-east youngster has been barred from catching the school bus with his friends – despite the fact it passes within yards of his home.
Charlie Johnston used to travel to Whitehills Primary with his pals on a council-run coach.
But following a review of school transport in the area, the six-year-old has been left out in the cold while the local authority offers seats to other pupils
Mum Susan says heartbroken Charlie has repeatedly asked why he cannot go to school with his friends.
She said: “The bus goes past the end of the road with empty seats and the bus driver keeps asking when he’ll be allowed on.”
Charlie is an out-of-zone pupil whose parents applied for him to attend Whitehills Primary School.
Despite them already paying an up front fee of £102.50 for one academic year’s bus travel, Charlie’s application is considered low priority by the local authority’s transport team.
Mrs Johnston is angry that after more than a month of correspondence with Aberdeenshire Council, the future of Charlie’s school journey is no clearer.
She has been forced to take the long way to work each morning so she can drop Charlie at the school gates.
The pair must leave their Manse of Ord home early to ensure Mrs Johnston can be on time for work – at Banff Academy.
The Johnston family expect no special treatment and have no qualms about covering the cost of the bus pass.
Mrs Johnston said: “It seems crazy that there’s a bus going past the door to pick up kids just up the road and there are empty seats on the bus.
“I’ve put away the form and the cheque in July and I’ve been phoning and phoning. I’ve now asked for a refund.”
“He keeps asking when he’s going to get on – he says ‘why can’t I go with my pals?’.
“I think he thinks he’s done something wrong. I don’t know what to do. It’s a joke.”
Last night a spokeswoman for the local authority stressed that the transport team was working to resolve Charlie’s case and that he may still be offered a seat.
Aberdeenshire Council’s head of transportation, Ewan Wallace, said: “Spaces on school transport are initially provided to those pupils entitled to free transport and those pupils zoned for that particular school.
“If additional capacity is available, out-of-zone pupils are then allocated spaces but in order to do so, the council needs to know the full demand on the service once term starts.”
Mr Wallace added that the allocation process may stretch into the middle of September.
If Charlie is not offered a seat, the up front fee will be refunded in full.
It is understood the delay in allocating seats for the 2015-16 academic year follows a review of transportation tender contracts across the region.
When new contracts were negotiated earlier this year alterations were made to routes and capacity and the council is working to finalise provision.