Manchester bus driver fears dismissal for being too short

A 5ft (1.52m) bus driver said she was facing dismissal after her company redesigned some of its fleet, meaning she was too short to drive them safely.

Tracey Scholes, 57, has worked for Go North West for 34 years and said changes to some of the buses' wing mirrors had resulted in a blind spot.

She said she was told she would have to either cut her hours or be dismissed.

Go North West said it was "extremely sorry" to see her go but suggestions to accommodate her had all been rejected.

Ms Scholes became the first female bus driver at Manchester's Queens Road depot when she started in 1987.

"I feel loyalty doesn't count any more," she told BBC North West Tonight.

"I cannot afford to take a pay cut. I am being punished - and it is not my fault."

Ms Scholes, who is a widow, said she had not slept because of "worrying over the future" and added she was supporting her three children financially.

Go North West said the redesign had been discussed and agreed with the Unite trade union.

However, Unite said the bus operator was "essentially designing Tracey out of her job".

It described the firm's actions as "callous" and called for her to be reinstated on full pay and hours.

The union said Go North West proposed cutting her hours and pay.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: "The management at Go North West only have to find Tracey one hour of work a day to solve this amicably.

"It is not much for Go North West but it is a lot for Tracey."

Unite pledged to lodge a final appeal but Ms Scholes is now working her 12-week notice period.

Her last day at the firm is due to be on 5 February.

Go North West said: "The design of the mirrors on our buses was agreed after consultation with Unite some time ago. All our other drivers of similar height to Tracey are able to view them safely.

"When Tracey raised a concern with us, we made numerous proposals to accommodate her, including offering to put her on different routes, and different types of buses."

The suggestions were rejected, a spokesperson said.

"Dedicated, experienced, hardworking bus drivers are difficult to find and so we would never act lightly in a situation like this," they added.

The firm said it was "sorry that it was left with no choice but to bring Ms Scholes' employment to an end".

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