Melissa Ridley’s daughter Corinne started year 7 at Dapto High School this year and since the school year started she has been fighting Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to get a bus pass.

Corinne has recently secured a temporary bus pass after she tore her Achilles tendon.

Melissa had been driving her daughter to and from school but that was difficult, as she also has younger children in primary school.

The reason for the knockbacks is that TfNSW said she lives too close to school.

To qualify for a pass under the School Student Transport Scheme, a high school student has to live at least a 2.9-kilometre walk from their school.

Ms Ridley said TfNSW knocked back her application several times, citing that Corinne’s journey is 2.88 kilometres – just 20 metres shy of the qualifying distance.

It’s a measure Ms Ridley is disputing. ‘‘We’ve done our measurements, we’ve driven it, we’ve walked it, and we’ve actually come up with 3.1 kilometres,’’ Ms Ridley said. ‘‘Even if you go on Google Maps it’s still over [2.9 kilometres]. But according to them they had someone walk it and they’re saying it’s 2.88 kilometres.’’

Ms Ridley is worried about her daughter walking along busy roads like Bong Bong Road to get to school. ‘‘And you can’t expect kids to be walking around with 20-kilogram backpacks and walking 2.9kilometres,’’ she said. 

‘‘But at the end of the day I believe she is entitled to a bus pass.’’

A TfNSW spokeswoman said the department used a mapping system called Transportal to assess applications for the Subsidised Student Travel Scheme. It is this system that measured the route as 2.88 kilometres.

 ‘‘Applications that do not meet this distance criteria will be declined. We do understand there are sometimes extenuating circumstances and exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis,’’ the spokeswoman said.  ‘‘Due to special grounds, the student has been granted subsidised travel for the rest of the 2015 school year.’’