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.

That is shocking beyond :(

Miserable bastards!

No, it doesn't answer the question - If a child travels free with a full-fare paying adult, but not with a pass holder, are they saying the adult's fare covers the child's fare as well?

If so, why don't adults travelling without children pay less?

Either they allow children under 5 to travel free with an adult, or they don't.

Make a fuss! Start a petition. Tweet the newspapers & TV stations.

It does definitely depend where you are

Newport transport (yes i named you) are just twats.

dh has a disability pass, he gets on free, I get on free as his companion, our 3 kids get on free because they're under five.

I'd be kicking up a fuss, tbh.

I've asked hq to namechange me for this thread and then I'll start sharing it

I don't claim my bus pass, the nearest stop is over a mile from my house.

If you are a paying your fare and have 2 kids, do you have to pay for one?

FWIW I can see Gatwick airport's point WRT to the buggy thing. DH has always had to get the cases with 2 kids in tow, no different to being a single parent really.

What if someone had two children under 5?! I travel regularly with my two DC and both are free! How ridiculous! Share away and definitely get people involved. My sister once wrote to our local newspaper just for the opinion page but they actually contacted her and made a story about it (she got her car broken into and expensive things stolen at the cemetery not long after our dad died)

So you could try that.
Stupid fat fingers!!

That's terrible OP. You should definitely take it up with the local council.

I understand that fairy, but what if I'd been the single parent? Or DH had been disabled too?
Anywho, not the main point

Do you think i'd have to do a sad face? Hmm, that puts me off a bit!

I'd be tempted to ask on the bus if anyone is going to the same place as you, and would mind 'accompanying' your toddler. There must be adults on the bus who have paid full fare and don't have a free child with them. So the bus company wouldn't be out of pocket and nobody but the driver would be any the wiser.

I've just had a thought! I would contact the Council who issued the bus pass. Surely they have paid the bus company for your travel?

Definitely start practising faces in the mirror. Hold bus pass, purse, children and some sort of disabled aid even if you don't need them (stick, crutches etc!) with 4 arms

All under 5's are free here. I took 15 3 year olds on the bus from playgroup as a trip we only had to pay for the 3 adults.

I think the thing about being with a paying adult is to prevent mothers letting their very young children travel unaccompanied, I used to see children of 3 or 4 put on the bus alone, back in the days where all children were free.

I don't think it is intended to penalise disabled parents, I think that is just an accidental side effect. If enough people complained the rules might be adjusted.

Give us a relevant website to complain to!

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"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."

The OP isn't stupid! And actually they are having the full fare paid on their behalf.

I had no idea about this policy. Am gobsmacked.

Dear Sirs,

Under the Equality Act it is illegal to discriminate agonist someone because of their association with someone with a protected characteristic.

You are charging my son bus fare because I have a disability and therefore use a bus pass paid for by central government.

The guidelines for funding are based on the principle that a bus company should be no worse off for allowing concessionary passes and that it should also not be better off. Clearly in my case the bus company is better off because were I able bodied my child would not have to pay.

I would also like to make a request under the Freedom of information Act.

How much funding did you receive from government for concessionary passes last year.

How many journeys were taken by children under 5 paying because they were traveling with a disabled adult and how much money did this generate for the bus companies?

Although at first glance the second request may seem complicated you must have these figures as legally you cannot claim from central government for a full 'generated journey' for a disabled person traveling with a child.

Oops should be a line saying

This is direct discrimination against my son.

Wow, thank you :)

I'm not sure about the bus company, if that's their policy then that's their policy. They are a business and they have costs to cover, having children will always cost money and there is help available from government for that.

I don't think your complaint about Gatwick airport is fair, I regularly travel from Gatwick with disabled passengers and they are always very helpful. I expect they don't want children travelling on the golf buggy things incase they wriggle and a parent drops them and they get hurt. It's not to make things difficult for you, it's for safety.

That's shit isn't it!

So they're not getting money from the adult so they will from the child instead!!

I could maybe understand if it was applied if someone used a coupon or voucher from a magazine/newspaper iyswim.

But in these circs it stinks.

Woowoo, my irritant against gatwick wasnt their policy re disabled people (they were actually brilliant in everything they did just for me) it was disabled parents in particular. As I said, what if I'd been a single parent?

Re having children costs money, this is a cost due to me being disabled, not having children. As i said, before i was ill, this would be a walkable distance (and as my mum lives close to nursery, was actually one i walked often)

And its not just gatwick, i dont know anywhere that acknowledges people can be disabled and parents, this is just one in a long line of them

Know I'll be moaned at for whinging and that its their right to charge what they like, but its still irritating - family prices for everything are always based on 2 adult prices. Taking my kids swimming, to the zoo, whatever, is always proportionally more expensive than it would be.

Their policy is discriminatory. Not sure why some pp aren't grasping this.