PARENTS were fuming after changes to a school bus operator left youngsters stranded on their first day back at school.

Four routes to the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester were affected because Dorset County’s Council’s new contractor, Blandford-based Damory Coaches, had ‘issues updating route schedules’.

Student Anni Allen, 15, waited more than an hour for her bus in Crossways that never arrived.

Asperger’s Syndrome sufferer Anni was meant to board an 8.15am Damory Coaches vehicle from Woodsford Road to Dorchester.

Her mum had to come out of work and pick her up, along with another student who had been left stranded.

Anni’s dad Jeff, 45, said: “Vulnerable children were left stranded at rural bus stops with no way of finding out what to do.

“My daughter suffers from Asperger’s which means she becomes upset and ill if anything upsets her routine.

“I often work in London, and my wife is often out in the morning, which could have meant my daughter being stranded for hours.”

Anni said around 20 youngsters were left stranded at the bus stop.

She added: “I was a bit annoyed because I was meant to be at school sorting out my timetables.”

Furious parents have also hit out at soaring school bus fares.

The council claims the price rise is because of soaring transport costs.

The concessionary seats, available to children who are not entitled to free transport, have gone up from £250 to £400 a year.

Ian Stone, of Preston, has bought his daughter a £270-a-year First Bus pass for travel to All Saints School instead of using the school bus.

Today is the first day of term at the school and he said many other parents had done the same to avoid paying £400 for a concessionary seat.

He said: “It’s going to be mayhem behind Debenhams with people changing buses to get to school.

“There’s been no negotiation with parents and everyone’s up in arms.”

Other youngsters have lost places on buses because of the county council’s spending cuts, which aim to achieve more than £55million in savings over the next three years.

Affpuddle mum Kasia Robins said her son William Saunders, who is starting sixth form at Hardye’s, was declined a place on the bus.

She said she has been told that her son should now catch a public bus, the £400 travel pass was revoked and she would have to pay £870 for William’s annual bus journey.

She said: “This is approximately the cost of one third of the current cost of sending a child to university.

“This is far more than I and many other parents will be able to afford.”

A First bus spokesman said many parents have asked about using their commercial services as a way of getting their children to school.

She added: “The company does offer an alternative for students getting to and from school.

“We’ve noticed a slight increase in the number of parents contacting us for information regarding these services and wishing to take advantage of our annual bus passes.”

County Council apologizes

A Dorset County Council spokesman apologised for any inconvenience caused by the issues with route schedules.

She said: “We understand that Damory had issues updating their route schedules and this resulted in a number of Thomas Hardye pupils not being picked up at certain stops this morning.

“We have contacted Damory and asked them to make sure all their drivers have the correct route schedules, so this does not happen again.”

Out of the 14 Damory buses that stopped at Thomas Hardye, the four affected routes were the E088A Galton, Owermoigne, Broadmayne to St Osmund’s Middle School, Dorchester Middle School and Thomas Hardye, the E090A from Moreton, Crossways, Woodsford to Dorchester Middle School and the Thomas Hardye School, the E076A from Alton Pancras, Piddletrenthide, White Lackington, Piddlehinton, Waterston to Dorchester Middle School and Thomas Hardye School. The E079A Hampton, Muckleford, Charminster, Higher Charminster, Herrison to Dorchester Middle, Thomas Hardye, St Osmund’s schools.