A disabled teenager was left stranded after a bus driver shut the doors on him and drove off, his furious mum has claimed.
Curtis, 15, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and uses a wheelchair, was waiting to get the bus home on the evening of April 8 with his friend.
When the bus pulled up, Curtis' friend got on and when he went to board the driver didn't get the ramp out for his wheelchair and shut the doors, it is claimed.
Curtis had to then call his dad to pick him up after the 592 bus, which is operated by First Bus, allegedly drove off without him.
Mum Hayley Harris, 36, told YorkshireLive: "Luckily his dad was able to go and pick him up. He's recently had a problem with the motor on his chair and can only drive short distances as it has been cut out a few times.
"I don't know what would have happened if his dad hadn't picked up the call right away.
She claimed: "Curtis said the driver simply let his friend on, closed the doors and drove off. It's as if the driver was too lazy to get out and put the ramp down."
Hayley says she then saw a Facebook post from a woman claiming she saw what happened in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
The post reads: "What an absolute joke that bus driver is for not letting a child in a wheelchair on the bus with his mate. He let his mate on but not the young lad in his wheelchair, what a joke."
Hayley has two disabled sons, Curtis and a 12-year-old, along with a five-year-old daughter.
She decided to speak out to highlight the challenges people with disabilities can have taking public transport.
The full-time carer said the alleged incident with the bus was "discouraging" for Curtis, adding: "My son is trying to get his own independence. At the moment, he is still able to stand but when he gets older he will be able completely wheelchair-bound.
"We have had things like this happen all the time on public transport. Once, Curtis was on the bus in his wheelchair and he stood up to put his coat on. The bus driver said 'He obviously doesn't need the chair then' and I felt like I had to justify my son being disabled."
Returning to the recent alleged incident, Hayley went on: "Incidents like that and the one on Saturday happen all the time and we just had to deal with it. When I saw that someone had witnessed what happened to my son, I wanted to speak out and raise awareness that this is what disabled people face on a daily basis."
A spokesperson for First Bus told the Mirror: "We are investigating the circumstances that led to this situation, including speaking to the driver involved to understand all the details."
