A disabled woman has accused a bus company of “discrimination” after she says she was refused entry due to having a mobility scooter.

Amanda King from Sevenoaks claims she was humiliated when a driver closed the doors on her hands as she tried to board using the disabled ramp.

Last Tuesday (June 18), she was waiting to get the Number 8 at 3.07pm from the main bus station in the town centre.

The single decker is run by Go Coach which is investigating the alleged incident.

Amanda has a disabled pass issued by Kent County Council (KCC). It allows herself and one other person to access free off-peak travel on local bus services.

As she waited in a queue with her boyfriend Lee Chapman, the bus driver began to “shake his head” at her.

“He told me I couldn’t get on,” the 47-year-old explained. “He didn’t say why – he was just refusing me.

“Four other passengers had got on already and I could see that the disabled bay on the bus was empty. So there was plenty of room for me.”

Amanda got up out of her seat and pulled the disabled ramp from the bus.

As she began to travel up the ramp, she claims the bus driver shut the doors on her hands. He then called the Go Coach operations team, leaving her waiting at the roadside.

Amanda said: “He rang through to the main office and they said I couldn’t get on as well.

“I rang the office and they repeated that I could not go on. Nobody gave me a reason why.

“I told her it was discrimination. She said goodbye and hung up on me.”

Amanda has owned a mobility scooter for the past year.

The mum-of-two has been getting Go Coach buses for the last four weeks following an extensive knee operation.

As a result, she struggles to walk and is currently unable to drive.

She says this is the first time she has been refused on a bus.

“I felt upset and like everyone was looking at me as if I’m a mad woman,” Amanda said.

“I don’t know, it was just all weird and horrible. At the end of the day, it’s discrimination against disabled people.

“You can’t have some drivers that let me on and others that don’t.”

Lee added: “She’s a vulnerable person – imagine if it happened at night or in the dark.

“I felt so angry. How would they like it if they were in her shoes?”

The trip into the town centre from Hillingdon Rise takes around 15 minutes, whereas it would take more than half an hour on her scooter.

Amanda says the service is “vital” and uses it four or five times a week to go to GP appointments and get food shopping.

On Wednesday (June 19), she filed a complaint and then rang up the head office in Swanley the following day.

She said: “I asked them how long it would take for a reply and the lady told me ‘how long is a bit of string?’

“I still haven’t heard any feedback since then.”

Amanda said on Friday, June 21 – three days after she was refused – she was able to get on the Number 8 bus without any problems.

However, she noted that it was a different driver.

A spokesman for Go Coach confirmed the company is aware of the complaint, but due to driver absence, it is still investigating the alleged incident.

He said they will respond to Ms King when their investigations are complete.