Passengers left stranded by bus full of school pupils

People trying to travel from Newport to Shrewsbury by bus are being left out in the cold because the mid-afternoon service is packed with school pupils, it was claimed today.

People have been refused access on to the 4.10pm 519 Arriva service from Newport Interchange as the bus is already at capacity with teenagers making their way home from Adams' Grammar School.

Passengers claimed that one bus failed to stop altogether, leaving about 10 people waiting for half an hour before eventually giving up.

Martin Reid, who says he was forced to take a taxi to Edgmond, added: "It was a frustrating experience. We weren't told that the service wasn't coming so we didn't know what was going on."

A spokesman for Arriva said the company was aware of the problem of overcrowding and was liaising with Telford & Wrekin Council, which subsidises the service, about possible solutions.

Keith Myatt, for Arriva Midlands, said: "The local authority will need to make a decision whether they have additional funding to pay for an additional service."

Only one-third of the 180 Adams' Grammar pupils in year seven or year eight in May this year lived within five miles of Newport, meaning many must rely on public transport.

Adams' spokeswoman Gill Barber said: "We are trying to explore any options."

A spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council said: "We have been made aware of the situation by Newport Town Council and a meeting is being called involving the town council, the head of Adams' Grammar School and officers from Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils to discuss the matter and investigate how the situation could be addressed."