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A bus in northern England (archive image): Happy ending for Tracey Scholes
Photo: Christopher Furlong/ Getty Images
Tracey Scholes is allowed to continue driving the bus.
The bus company of the 57-year-old from Manchester had previously quit because she was 1.52 meters too small for newly purchased bus models.
Scholes had informed her employer that she had to lean backwards to see the wing mirrors and that she could no longer reach the pedals.
Her employer, the company Go North West, initially laid Scholes off and then fired her with three months' notice.
More than 25,000 people had supported Scholes with a petition demanding that she get her job back.
Now the bus company has come to an agreement with Scholes.
She can now drive older buses that are used on other routes and will not have to accept any cuts in salary, as the Guardian reports.
The company had previously made her a similar offer, but with fewer hours and therefore a lower salary.
Scott Maynard, the company's human resources director, said in a statement that Scholes would start earlier so she could select a bus of her choice with wing mirrors.
"We said we wanted to keep Tracey from the start, and we're glad she changed her mind and decided to stay," he said.
Maynard emphasized that "there are no size restrictions when hiring," and that several drivers the same size as Scholes work at the company.
It was categorically wrong that we threatened to fire anyone because of their height.
A Go North West spokesman had previously said Scholes was a valued member of the team and that the company had "made numerous proposals to keep Scholes," but the proposals were rejected.
The company had no choice but to let Scholes go.
It broke her heart, said the bus driver, who worked for Go North West for 34 years.
"I have three children, I'm a widow, and I have a mortgage to pay off," she said.
"I can't take a pay cut."
kha
