Aibu to want ds to travel for free on the bus?

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

Mentioned this in a related thread earlier, but thought i'd run it by aibu.

I have a free bus pass as am disabled. However, because it doesnt count as a "full fare paying adult", I have to pay for my toddler on the bus, who would be free if i was paying normal adult fare for myself.

I'm a bit miffed about it, a bus pass is provided for me as the council understands I cant walk from a to b, but i still cant get infinite buses as i do still have to pay for ds. I'm not saying he should be free full stop by the way, just that as an adult, my pass should count as an adult fare. Seems to be yet another case of disabled parents not being thought of when plans are made for accessiblity. (Gatwick airport, i'm looking at you!)

Are they being unreasonable? Or should i just forget about it.

[jacks365]

Raise the issue with both your county council and your local mp. Personally I think it's disgusting and and needs sorting out.

[EverythingsDozy]

How old is DS?

[Topseyt]

I think it sounds like a fair point to put to the relevant authorities.

I am not disabled, and this would not have occurred to me, so I admit I would have needed to have it pointed out.

[squirrel996]

What have Gatwick airport done?

[LoblollyBoy]

He's a toddler. I'm struggling to understand what evil the council are trying to address with this rule about free toddler travel for full fare adults only. Too many students taking toddlers on bus? Nurseries taking the piss with free travel for fifty toddlers? I don't really get it. You don't seem to me to be being unreasonable, but they must fear you are the thin end of some wedge or other. What is it though?

[TitusFlavius]

I think your DS should go free anyway. I'm in London and all kids (thanks, Ken - he brought this in) get free bus travel until they are 16. Kids under 11 even get free tube travel.

But yes, in your specific case, he should go free. It makes no sense for you to get free travel and not him. What do they think - you can leave him at home?

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

Gatwick airport told me they couldnt accommodate me taking a toddler (he's just turned two, was still one at the time) on the little golf buggy thing, so dh had to take two children through passport control and to get the cases, with no pram, on his own.

[TitusFlavius]

Loblollyboy - in London, plenty of primary school teachers take their entire classes of under-11s on the bus on class trips, free, and the system hasn't ground to a halt!

[Rooble]

I would raise it with the Council. My DS always travelled free with me (disabled bus pass) until he was 5, when all children in my LA have to pay.
(It did come as a shock when he turned 5 and I realised just how many of our journeys involved multiple buses and multiple lots of 70p though).

[Joules68]

What do pensioners do when taking grandchildren out?

[EverythingsDozy]

If he is a toddler then YADNBU (obviously if he was 7 it'd be a different story!!).
Write to your local MP. Is it a council bus company or a national one? Does that make a difference? If it's council then your MP might be able to do something about it

[littleducks]

What are the rules for your area? (Another Londonder with all children free here).

If it's free up to 5 or so with a fare paying adult then it should be free for him too. I could see their point of he was secondary school age or something.

[Pooka]

Our school (in London) always uses buses for school trips. So teacher and 30 kids (with a few adult helpers). Kids are all free.

Is brilliant. Teachers do try, if taking a whole year group out, to avoid all 60 getting on the bus at once.

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

I have two children, one is just 2 and the other 3 and a half. I dont expect them both to travel for free, but one would be a big help. For instance, closest nursery is full so ds1 has to be taken to one a bus ride away. Its the sort of distance that i would have walked without thinking before i got ill, but now have to bus. DH is in work so I have to pay for both children to get there and back (luckily this is only temporary, he has a place in the nearer nursery in september)

[EverythingsDozy]

You should expect them both to be free!! Don't be daft, of course you should! Why does it make a difference if you pay a fare or not?!

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

I'm on a disabled parent group on facebook and have asked if its the same elsewhere. Seems it is.
Wish i could be annoyed, but i just feel sad. I know its really only because they want every penny they can get, but it feels like its cause they think less of me as a disabled person.

I'm fairly sure that oaps can take toddlers on for free. Think their pass is classed like a monthly paid type one, whereas mine is a concession like a student

[MiniSoksMakeHardWork]

Oaps in our area can certainly take children for free. My inlaws take the dc to the coast or trips into nearby towns. They couldn't afford to do this if they had to pay for them even though they have their oap bus pass.

[dubdurbs]

I don't quite understand your viewpoint OP-children travel free with an accompanying adult who has paid the full fare. You haven't paid full fare, there for you must pay the child fare for your toddler. It's very simple.

[manicinsomniac]

YANBU, that's absolutely ridiculous. It mocks a mockery of the whole idea of trying to make it easier for you to get around by giving you a free bus pass.

I don't really think the age is relevant either tbh. Anybody who has no choice but to accompany a disabled person on public transport (ie a child or a carer) should go free too. Otherwise it could, in a poor family, prohibit the disabled person from travelling too.

[manicinsomniac]

makes a mockery

[TruJay]

Really? I just thought kids were free until 5yo regardless?! My sis has a disabled buss pass and she can take a accompanying adult/carer for free along with her but she's never had my little ones with her so i can't comment on that. I would definitely check with your bus company/appropriate place to be 100% sure u have to pay, I'm really surprised u have to pay

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

Re a carer, i can get a pass for a carer, however i am then only allowed on the bus with said carer. If i want to retain some independence, well, that must mean I cant possibly need someone to help me at some particular times.

I have an email here from them confirming it, i definitely have to pay.

[BeyondWithTwoToddlers]

Email...

Good Morning
Our child fare policy is that 1 child under 5 can travel for free when travelling with a full fare paying adult. Concessionary pass holders do not qualify as full fare paying adults and therefore will have to pay a child fare for a child of any age travelling with them.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any other queries please don't hesitate to get in touch.

[Edenviolet]

My dsis has a disabled pass and has taken my dcs on the bus before and not had to pay for them, perhaps it depends where you are.

[TruJay]

I'm genuinely surprised i really thought children under 5 were just free whatever the circumstances. Does that mean that now i have 2 children that i would get one free and pay for the other? Don't mean to highjack the thread, just wondering?
i used buses all the time with my son but have since passed my test so never use buses anymore and now have a baby daughter too, son still under 5 though