A FURIOUS mother-of-four has accused a bus firm of racism, claiming that she was refused a place on a training programme because she was white.
Marion Ryan, 40, had hoped to kick start a new career in social care by joining Hackney Community Transport in east London.
But she said she was told she was not eligible because they were looking for mixed race, Afro-Caribbean or Asian candidates.Yesterday Ms Ryan, from Lower Clapton in Hackney, said: “It didn’t register in my head at first what she was telling me – that I couldn’t do the programme because the colour of my skin.
“I have never heard or seen anything like this, whether it is with white people or anyone else.
“I just thought ‘I don’t think you should be allowed to do that. That’s discrimination. It’s not right’.”
Ms Ryan was eager to return to work after spending 18 years bringing up her children.
She hoped to find work through Hackney Community Transport’s four-week Driving Change programme, learning how to help disabled passengers on buses.
When she was told she could not join she questioned the company’s policy, but was forced to leave disappointed.
“Everybody should be given the right to go on these courses, especially in Hackney where there are so many different people,” she said. “You don’t treat people like that. You don’t treat anybody differently.”
Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for nearby Romford, said: “I am appalled to learn that anyone should be turned away on the grounds of the colour of their skin. I don’t believe in discrimination of any sort. People should be treated according to their own merits, not their racial origins.”
Bosses at the bus firm said there had been an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and that it was not company policy to employ non-whites only. They asked to speak to Ms Ryan but she refused saying: “It’s no use now.”
A spokeswoman for Hackney Community Transport said: “We are very sorry that Marion has been left with the impression that she was unable to apply for our current passenger assistants programme. Marion is eligible to participate.
“There is no ethnic access restriction. There was an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“Marion was given incorrect information when she made her inquiry, which left her with the impression that she was not eligible to apply for the course.”
Hackney Community Transport was founded in 1982 by various community groups, with the aim of providing affordable transport for voluntary groups, charities and community organisations.
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