to think wheelchair users should be able to use the bus

[elliejjtiny]

I have 4 DC aged between 7 years and 12 weeks. DS2 is disabled and uses a wheelchair and DS4 has a number of health issues that require a lot of appointments. DS1 and DS3 are fine apart from mild mobility problems. With all the appointments, school stuff, toddler groups, piano lessons etc my diary is really full.

DS2 has a disabled bus pass. Like any "extras" he gets I've had to fill in a form, detailing everything he struggles with, get passport photos done, photocopy proof of his disability and send it off.

I try and avoid going out with all 4 children unless I have to but today DS4 had a hospital appointment. I set off an hour early just in case of bus trouble with DS1 pushing the wheelchair, DS2 in the wheelchair, DS3 and DS4 in the buggy. In the hour we were waiting, several double decker buses went past and a low floor bus that didn't stop, presumably because the wheelchair and pram spaces were full. The double deckers were all first buses and the low floor one was another company.

In the end we gave up and came home and DS4's quite urgent appointment has been rearranged for 2 weeks time. This isn't the first time this has happened and I'm getting annoyed that I've jumped through hoops to get DS2 a free bus pass when he can't get on the bus. Dreading next week when we have to get the bus to and from school.

Do the double deckers not have disabled bits? Tbh with a wheelchair and a double buggy it will always usually be the case that the bus has at least one buggy already on boars

Maybe the bus driver assumed you needed 3 pram/wheelchair spaces? Can you collapse your pushchair and then hold dc 3+4?

The bus driver should make a pushchair fold for tge wheelchair but not for op's double pushchair. Maybe 'll you should have taken dc 3/4 out of the double pushchair and had it folded up ready to get on tge bus so you were not holding up tge entire bus getting a baby and toddler out and folding up the pushchair.

Wheelchair spaces are precisely that! I would phone them with bus stop you were at, time from and to, and how many buses and their numbers went past.
Disgusting!

No, the double decker buses don't have a space for a wheelchair. Someone from first told me that new double decker buses with wheelchair spaces were coming in a few weeks. That was 18 months ago. Yes, if there is one wheelchair space I will fold the buggy and DS2 will use the wheelchair space.

I've written to first before and got the usual "thankyou for your concern, driver's discretion, blah blah blah" type of reply. I will try writing to the mp this time, hadn't thought of doing that.

So the double deckers dont have space. The low bus may have had a wheelchair user in the space.

Therefore the drivers didnt do any wrong. Writing to the bus company to ask.about their plans to add wheelchair spaces would be a good.idea

It is hugely unlikely that you would get 3 spaces so in future just fold up the buggy.

Yanbu at all and I think the bus services needs to read the DDA.

This is just a suggestion but I would phone for hospital transport, as it seems like you will still struggle in 2 weeks time.

All buses must be wheelchair accessible by 2017. I appreciate this doesn't help you now. Could you contact your MP or MSP?

the only issue i see is the double deckers didnt have wheelchair spot.. that i would complain about.

i would be annoyed but not at the buss's.

is there a daial a ride near you? its a mini bus that's picks up people to take you to the appoinments? all very wheel chair friendly,
secondly can you drive? can you look into getting a mobilty fund to get a car?

All bar 1 double decker near me has wheelchair bays. The drivers always tell pram to fold for wheelchairs. All our first double deckers are low floor buses too. I'm appalled that this isn't the case everywhere.

My husband is severely disabled and needs the disability seat. I got on the bus with him once and there was a woman holding a pram in the seat with her kid on the other chair. When I politely asked her to move she went ape and started threatening to punch me. I told her she was not entitled to the seat unless you count a low intelligence and obesity as a disability nowadays

YANBU.

It is bad enough when prams are blocking the spaces and don't move to allow people in wheelchairs on, but all buses should have at least one space accessible to someone in a wheelchair.

Can the bus company at least give you a list of which bus times will accomodate a wheelchair?

I would be tempted to complain to the MP or even the local newspaper.

I'd suggest hospital transport too, I use the buses a lot, but not always for appointments because I can't always get on the bus.

Most of my local buses have one space for wheelchair users and one space for a buggy. When there isn't a wheelchair user on the bus then the space may be used for a buggy but the wheelchair user always takes priority - if there are too many buggies then they have to be folded up.

I have only been on the bus once when there were several buggies as well as a wheelchair user wanting to use it but the driver gave the wheelchair user priority and the parents with buggies had to fold them. There were also some teenagers with a bike who wanted to get on but the bus couldn't fit and they were told they would have to wait for the next bus.

Does sound like they are being put off by the idea of having to make space for a wheelchair and a double buggy. Could you have DS4 in a sling and have DS3 in a single buggy or, if he would be able to stand comfortably, is there anything such as a buggy board made available to fit DS2's wheelchair? That said, it shouldn't be your problem to solve - the bus company should have made reasonable adjustments to their buses and policies so that wheelchair users can use the buses accompanied by their families. I agree that you should write to the bus company having taken note of the number buses which drive past without stopping for you and file a formal complaint.