A BUS driver who launched a foul-mouthed rant at a 16-year-old girl and said he was “sick of passengers” quit his job hours later.

Yellow Buses has apologised to Ella Hayward and has confirmed the driver responsible for the incident has left the company.

Ella, a student at Bournemouth and Poole College, boarded the 1b service in Christchurch High Street on Wednesday morning to travel to college in Bournemouth.

She has a pre-paid Glo card but the driver mistakenly issued a single fare.

Ella, a former pupil of The Grange school who lives in Peppercorn Close in Christchurch, told the Daily Echo: “He just started shouting and swearing at me, saying he would have to pay for the ticket and he was sick of passengers.

“There was one more woman on the bus and when she told him to stop shouting at me he got even worse. He swore at her, then threw my Glo card at me and told us to get off the bus.

“All the time he was right in our faces, swearing and shouting, and I was getting really scared. He completely lost his temper when the other woman reminded him he was on his own CCTV.”

Ella, who studies Medical Science, said she and the woman got off the bus, then watched as the driver appeared to call Yellow Buses and tell them to “stick their job.”

He then changed the number of the bus to A1, a service which operates between Bournemouth town centre and Bournemouth Airport, and sped off from the bus stop.

Jenni Wilkinson, Head of Marketing and Customer Excellence, Yellow Buses, said: “This was totally unacceptable behaviour. We fully understand the upset and distress caused and have apologised unreservedly to both the passenger and her family. The driver involved is no longer an employee of Yellow Buses.”

Ella’s mum, Rebecca Saunders, said she hoped the incident would not put her daughter off from travelling by bus in future.

“This could easily have knocked her confidence, which obviously concerns me as Ella can’t drive yet and the bus is her only way of getting to college.

“I was upset when she called me to tell me what had happened. I was shocked a grown up had taken that attitude to a college student. We all have a bad day occasionally, but the driver shouldn’t have taken it out on Ella.

“I’m relieved the other lady was there to intervene.”