Bus driver refused to make passenger leave

I'm sure he was just trying to get home safely to his family that day and not be injured or worse for the sake of a wheelchair space. Next time call the police.

Ahh look!

The problem has arrived.

Any bus drivers around to tell this person to leave the thread?

I think bus drivers take so much abuse that it's easier for them to not confront passengers and have the abuse shares out between the passengers. I once, obviously, leapt off the bus with my daughter in her push chair to let a wheelchair on, and the bus driver seemed surprised. I think buses make (lazy) people turn very nasty.

Do you come onto every Mumsnet thread and say that (as we only ever get one side of the story) or do you only do this to OPs with disabilities?

And if the passenger says no?

Are you for real? So luggage in an accessible space, usurps a wheelchair user?

It's not discrimination. The company has made reasonable adjustments in providing the space. It's up to passengers to use their brains and not obstruct it.

Surely getting everyone off the bus as quickly as possible to avoid it escalating is best here. Stopping the bus and engaging with unhinged people, unless you’re a police officer, is not going to end well. If I was the driver I’d just want to get everyone to where they want to be as quick as possible so people can get off the bus and not get tied up in any escalated behaviour. And tbh, the comments on here from other people saying they have been in similar situations, where the bus driver would not sort out problems, suggests they have some sort of policy and process in place here.

Report incident to the bus company. They will have cctv and will investigate. I would report to police as well. Shame that no one came to your assistance.

I think you've misread the post you're quoting. The poster is not saying there is a duty to clear space, but a duty not to let wheelchair users on if there is no space for them.

But a wheelchair user should always be able to access the only space they can use on a bus unless it’s being used by another wheelchair user.

if people weren’t selfish idiots who believe their suitcase has more right to the space then I could see your point but the fact is wheelchair users regularly end up stranded trying to use public transport due to the selfishness of others.

I think @Noodlesnotstrudels is thinking of the case of Paulley v FirstGroup PLC, where the Supreme Court found that bus companies should have policies to help wheelchair users as part of their equality duties. Drivers should ask other passengers to free up a wheelchair space, and they should find out why if they do not do so. If, in the driver’s opinion, they could easily move to another part of the bus, the driver should take further steps to persuade them, e.g. rephrasing the request as a requirement or refusing to drive on.

It tends to be thought of as London-specific because not all buses in other areas have spaces actually designated for wheelchair use.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/buses-and-coaches-features-and-help-for-disabled-people/buses-and-coaches-features-and-help-for-disabled-people

says here, that the bus driver must tell passengers to move their stuff.

Thing is though during a 12 hour shift most drivers won't pick up a single wheelchair anyway so following that logic people who could have used the space for keeping luggage out of the way can't do so on the off chance, when the likelihood is no wheelchair is going to enter the bus during that entire shift anyway. How often do you even see a wheelchair using the space during the course of a week? I use several routes in east London and I think a month ago I saw a wheelchair on one bus.

Surely it’s discrimination? Expecting a wheelchair user to wait for another bus just because some twat has put their luggage etc in the wheelchair space.

Wheelchair users should receive an inferior bus service because there’s nowhere for their chair to sit?

How would that be the best thing to do when there's an idiot there preventing people from getting off?

This driver should have refused to move until the wheelchair space was cleared when OP got on the bus.

Indeed. When people talk about trouble on their bus journeys, they forget that they may get that occasionally.. but the driver is doing this day after day after day all day or night. They can't get involved in arguments between passengers, attacks on drivers are already at a very high level. They're not security guards and they aren't paid enough to deal with every wanker on the bus for you.

Things like this are why I am increasingly of the opinion that the wheelchair space should be closed until it is needed by a wheelchair user.

Travelling when disabled is hard enough without selfish people making it even worse

My husband is a bus driver and tbh, if the bus was that packed he shouldn't have let you on because there would have been no room to park your chair even though it is common decency for people to move but where would they move to, if you get what I mean?
People are unhinged and nasty bastards and will literally start trouble in an empty room.
Bus drivers cannot get into an conflict as they have no protection themselves and also they are not allowed to leave their cab.

Personal opinion posted as fact. Your understanding is wrong. Perhaps you can show us the legislation or guidelines that say bus drivers are supposed to 'enfofce' anything of the sort?

OP, I think you know that Doug Paulley from Weatherby won a legal case to say that wheelchair users have rights over pushchairs in the disabled space but that the bus driver cannot compel,people to move out of the space it they won’t.

It isn't a 'duty' at all.. My partner is a bus driver. They rely on the common sense of passengers in the hope they might do the right thing. They are not police officers. They can not make people get off busses. All they can do is press the alert to notify control there is a problem. It is then up to control to determine what to do. Not the driver.

The driver and other passengers usually will not come to your help. They are too frightened of being hurt themselves.

No, the luggage should be moved from wheelchair space.