And Mercury readers aren't happy about that – some are even in the same situation as Sienna and her mother Rebecca Townsend.

Sienna lives 2.2 kilometres from her school – just 100 metres short of the 2.3-kilometre criteria used by Transport for NSW to assess bus pass applications.

Paul Beaver couldn’t believe the schoolgirl was knocked back because she was outside the boundary.

“What a bloody joke,” he wrote on the Mercury’s Facebook page.

“Why be so damn technical? Give the girl a pass, you tossers.”

Deb Cambourn agreed with Mr Beaver’s sentiment.

“This is crap – all kids should have the right to a school bus pass,” she wrote.

A number of readers had children who were in the same boat as Sienna – they too lived 100 metres or less outside that 2.3-kilometre boundary.

Some now have to leave work early to pick up their child, some pay for the bus each day while others used the address of a family member to get a free bus pass.

“We also have just had this issue with my son who is in Year 3,” wrote Katie Vijums-Greenacre.

“We missed out by 80 metres. I was given the option of paying $1.10 each trip or paying $52 for a term pass which is what we opted for.

“Fortunately the money wasn't an issue for us, but I feel for anyone who it is an issue for.”

There is the option of appealing the Transport for NSW decision, which is heard by an independent panel.

A number of other parents wrote that they went this route and ended up with a free bus pass.

“They knocked back a family member who has cerebral palsy and cannot walk long distances,” wrote Sarah Armstrong.

“It was contested and the decision reversed.”

Sandra Hermosilla from Dapto put pen to paper and got a similar response.

“I wrote a letter to them stating all the dangers a child may face doing this walk on their own,” she wrote.

“They were understanding and allowed my children to have a pass. Personally I think in primary school all children should be allowed a pass without question, but a nice long letter does the trick.”

Some noted university students had free bus travel via the Gong Shuttle, while primary school students pay for their bus to school.

Joel Murray felt the “walking distance” criteria should be cancelled.

“They won't walk they will get driven, so it just makes the school zone chaos worse,” he wrote.

“Better to just encourage every kid to be dispersed via bus.”