Fury as free bus pass lost
Families face having to pay £390 after the distance from their home to their children's school was re-measured – and fell just yards short of qualifying for a free bus pass.
Jayne Boughey-Sandel said that they had been able get a free bus pass for daughter Georgia to get to Hagley Park Sports College in Rugeley for the last three years.
She said they were classed as being over the three-mile distance to qualify for a pass from their home in Rugeley Road, Armitage.
This summer they were told by Staffordshire County Council that their home was 2.97 miles from the school and did not qualify.
She said neighbouring families of pupils Mark Dixon and Tyler Maycock were told the same and faced paying £390 for a pass without a guaranteed place on the bus to the school.
"The irony is that the bus stop is actually more than three miles from the school.
"The only other option would be for Georgia to walk to school and back every day.
"We are not happy about that because it is a busy and dangerous road. She would have to leave home at 7.30am to walk to school and it would not be safe in the dark."
Parish council member Richard Cox is taking the matter up through the council and Mrs Boughey-Sandel said a petition was also being organised asking for a rethink.
County spokesman Tom Hobbins said: "The council uses an electronic measuring device to work out distances. However, on the request of some parents, the distance to Armitage was verified by a manual check.
"As a result, two more properties were found to be less than three miles from school. We do need to apply this policy consistently and where a mistake has been made it will be put right."
He said parents could pay for school transport and there was a regular bus from Armitage into Rugeley.
