Female Bus Driver Allegedly Sacked For Being 'Too Short' After 34 Years Of Service

A female bus driver has allegedly been sacked in England for being being "too short" after 34 years of service.

When Tracey Scholes, who is 5-feet-tall, became a bus driver in 1987, she was among the first women to take on the role in Greater Manchester. This is why she was devastated when she was given her notice last month. Go North West Ltd, the bus company, allegedly told her the wing mirrors in its buses had been repositioned and she was too short to use them while reaching the pedal.

She was offered an alternative role, but for fewer hours and pay. Scholes declined the offer and was given three months' notice, a decision the 57-year-old driver is now appealing, according to Birmingham Mail.

"This is heartbreaking. I'm a widow with three children, a house and a mortgage and it's nearly Christmas," Scholes said as per Manchester Evening News. "I've never had to involve the union before, I've never had a disciplinary, never been suspended. I've always gone to management myself with any issues and worked it through."

"I'm flabbergasted that they can just get rid of me after 34 years," she continued. "I love my job, I don't want to lose it. I have regular customers and a regular route."

The mom of three also shared that has been moved by the support from her colleagues.

"I work with such a great bunch of lads. They are lovely. I've had such tremendous support with this. It's just blown me away," she added.

Scholes and her colleagues have launched a petition to help her get her job back. The campaign has so far garnered more than 1,700 signatures.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Unite the Union, a British and Irish trade union formed by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union, noted, "Go North West Ltd has dismissed her from employment because they changed the manufacturer specification on their fleet of buses resulting in five-foot tall Tracey being physically unable to operate company vehicles safely."

Go North West Ltd has refused to consider proposals from Tracey and her Unite trade union reps to keep her in employment.

"This has resulted in her unfair dismissal from Go North West Ltd for the capability to fulfill her role as a PCV driver.

"The company’s only resolution is to offer Tracey a position in the company that would see Tracey’s pay and hours cut significantly leaving her in financial hardship," the statement said further.