Mark has been fighting to get a bus pass for months – but TfGM says it will continue to advise him(Image: Copyright Unknown)

An epileptic man says he’s been denied a bus pass because he was told he had a driving licence — but he legally cannot drive.

Mark Allen, 60, applied for a disabled person’s travel pass in January because his epilepsy can cause him to lose consciousness for a few moments multiple times a day.

That means it could be dangerous for the Bolton man to get behind the wheel of a car, so much so Mark says the DVLA ‘said there was no way I could get [a driving licence] even if I applied for one’.

Mark therefore uses public transport to get around, and applied for a disabled person’s travel pass which grants users free bus and train journeys after 9:30am midweek, and all day at weekends.

But he saw his application knocked back by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Mark says it’s because ‘TfGM said I’ve got a driving licence, but I’ve never had one’.

He added: “My doctor says this person cannot drive due to my medical condition, and so did the DVLA.

“I spoke to the DVLA on the phone and they said there was no way I could get one even if I applied for one. I never ticked the box to say I have a driving license, but [TfGM] say I have.”

Mark, who lives in Tonge Moor, now feels like ‘a prisoner’.

“I can walk to my mum’s, but otherwise I cannot get around,” he went on. “It’s making me feel like a prisoner in my own area.

He also called on TfGM to ‘refund me the cost of everything’ in obtaining documents and travelling to see doctors.

“They think I’m a piece of dog muck and they can walk all over me,” he said.

For its part, TfGM says it follows nationally-set criteria for travel pass eligibility, and its website says those with epilepsy must ‘complete the application form and the relevant disability section providing supporting evidence such as diagnosis letters, specialist treatment, prescriptions or letters of support from health care professionals’ to secure a pass.

Fran Wilkinson, TfGM’s director for customer and growth, added: “Part of our commitment to a fully accessible Bee Network includes supporting people with disabilities and health conditions to acquire the concessionary passes they are entitled to.

“Whilst the initial information Mr Allen submitted indicated he wouldn’t be eligible for a disabled person’s travel pass, we’ve advised him on the process of providing additional information and evidence to help us consider the matter further.

“We’re also reaching out to him directly to further discuss his application, address any misunderstanding and hopefully arrive at a resolution.”