SCHOOLCHILDREN are still being left stranded by the side of the road because overcrowded buses can't pick them up.

Last week, Michelle Havinga's daughter, Steph-anie, aged 13, and her friends were left standing at the Woodgreen Drive bus stop, Warndon, Villages, twice - on Monday and Wednesday - after the S22 bus to Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, in Timberdine Ave-nue, Cherry Orchard, drove past. However, service operator First's communications manager, Dawid Maciej-ewski, said it is illegal for drivers to pick up children when the bus is full. Last month, the Worcester News reported that some children, including Mrs Havinga's daughter, had to make their own way to school. In some cases, children were unable to find alternative transport and had to stay at home.

Mrs Havinga, aged 41, of Cartwright Avenue, said: "I really am at my wits' end. I am absolutely livid. This is just getting ridiculous."

Danny McCormack, Bless-ed Edward assistant principal, said: "Some children came to me the other morning and said the bus went past them. I have been speaking to Dawid Maciej-ewski from First in an ongoing dialogue over the past three or four weeks. In the past, First has been co-operative and reasonable."

Students do have the option of using the free W2 and W3 service to the city centre from Woodgreen Drive before transferring on to either the number 32 Bath Road service or the number 44 London Road service. Mr Maciej-ewski said the S22 service is a full-sized single deck bus, which can carry 71 people.

He said: "Most weeks we have 50 to 60 passengers on this service. On say, Tuesdays, we don't know if there are going to be another 20 children who are going to be on this bus on the Wednesday. The bus has a maximum load restriction."

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