Telephonist Charlotte Bullock fears she could face disciplinary action because late buses regularly make her late for work.

The 22-year-old, of Lesley Avenue, Fulford, York, has received several verbal and written warnings from her employment agency, Blue Arrow, after regularly arriving late for her job at BT in Stonebow, York.

She claims that the Rider York bus service from outside the shops in Broadway, Fulford, into the city centre is sometimes up to 20 minutes late, or fails to stop at all because it is full of schoolchildren travelling to Fishergate School.

"I'm basically walking on eggshells at the moment," she said.

"If I'm late any more then I'll lose my job without a doubt. I can't keep arriving late, but there's nothing I can do about it unless I get an earlier bus, but that will mean I am at work far too early.

"The "bus was late" excuse seems such a clich, but in my case it really is true."

Charlotte claims that every morning she stands at the bus stop fretting about whether the service will be on time or "even more frustratingly" will stop at all.

"I have asked the bus company to put on a bigger bus so that if a lot of schoolchildren get on it, it can still accommodate others.

"But they say that isn't possible," she added.

A spokeswoman for Blue Arrow declined to comment, saying it was a "bus matter".

Charlotte spoke out on the same day the bus company was issued with a final warning by traffic commissioners after about 70 people complained about its services.

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