AIBU to expect to be a priority getting on a bus in a wheelchair

[Worrysaboutalot]

I am going to start using buses whilst in my power chair.

Apart from wondering how I will physically be able to get on to the bus, I would like to know what is the law regarding prams and wheelchairs.

Do I have priority over a pram or not ?

Can I insist that a pram is folded, so I can get on?

There is only 1 bus every 2 hours between my village and the shopping centre, so I really can't risk being stranded there. On other hand I need to get out of the house too.

Any advice welcome. I am in the North West if that makes any difference.

Nobody can guarantee you won't be stranded. What would you do if another wheelchair is already on the bus?

Yes you have no right to go before somebody else on a bus, when DS2 was very small it was pouring down but a lady got on before us with one of those dog Prams, she got the pram space so the driver said I’d have to fold up my pram whilst holding newborn DS2 or wait for the next bus.

law is one thing, practice is another. so be prepared.
also you mention a power chair.
you should discuss this with bus company because some are not allowed on, depends on weight, dimensions, turning circle.
i think you need to get something in writing from bus company authorising drivers to admit you, and reminding them wheelchairs take priority.
good luck.

[quote OwlBeThere]@Worrysaboutalot sorry my post wasn’t in any way helpful to you!! Just a long ago resentment brewing . Apologies and I wish you well on your travels [/quote]
On the contrary, it was a very helpful post. I should not assume that all babies/children are capable of being held anx pram folded.

It was a good point and I am not surprised you feel so strongly about this issue as it is so close to your heart.

You will get priority over a pram however if the wheelchair spaces are already full then there is nothing you can do x

You have priority over baby buggies but not specialist mobility type buggies that might be used for children with disabilities. They are larger than a standard buggy and have the same importance as a wheelchair. In this situation it is first come first served.

Just please be mindful that some people with Parma May have a disabled child. When my daughter was young she needed to carry special equipment to keep her alive and her buggy was full of medical equipment making collapsing her pushchair very difficult.

My subsequent children I would collapse pushchair if I saw a wheelchair user (and elderly with shopping trolleys) waiting time get on but have witnessed others refusing to collapse buggy's and drivers can't make them unfortunately 😢

You have a priority over a buggy, yes.
I genuinely wonder though, what a mother with a baby will do if she can’t fold the buggy and has to get off the bus and wait for the next 2 hours for another one.

I think asking for a letter from the bus company is a bit over the top!

Perhaps try to travel during quiet periods if possible. I did this when I had to get on with a buggy and usually turned out well.

You will absolutely need a back up. Buses aren’t known for their reliability, and often break down.

@Piwlyfbicsly

You have a priority over a buggy, yes. I genuinely wonder though, what a mother with a baby will do if she can’t fold the buggy and has to get off the bus and wait for the next 2 hours for another one.

Hopefully this hypothetical mother would wait 2 hours get on the next bus and buy a foldable buggy and therefore never be in the same situation again. (I always used a foldable pram and carried a ring sling or a wrap so I could sling the baby.)

I don't have the option of not using my chair. So I can't change what I do to make anything easier.

Yes, I know other disabled babies/children/adults would have priority if they are on the bus first. I would try the ring and ride service or just wait.

@Piwlyfbicsly

You have a priority over a buggy, yes. I genuinely wonder though, what a mother with a baby will do if she can’t fold the buggy and has to get off the bus and wait for the next 2 hours for another one.

Maybe the mother should have a back up plan also. That’s what OP would need to do incase the wheelchair space is already occupied (by another wheelchair user).

I regularly used catch a bus into town when my little boy was tiny with his buggy and hang all of the shopping on the back
This was all after work do was a regular time of day after nursery .
Nightmare. There was a lady in a manual wheelchair who got on at leat three times a week. I used to get up for her pile the shopping onto the floor hand my son to her and collapse the buggy. She would pass me my son and reverse into the space with my buggy wedged behind her wheelchair so it didn't slip. It was quite a good routine and people thought it was funny. We used mock eyeroll at eachother. Eventually she gave me her number and she would text me as she got to the bus stop so I could have the buggy ready collapsed. I miss her now we both work from home

@Worrysaboutalot

You tell ‘em! Good on you.

If you get any shit when using the bus do not hesitate to complain. I don’t think you will though, I have gotten on hundreds of buses with my wheelchair using client and it’s always been fine.

@Casschops

I regularly used catch a bus into town when my little boy was tiny with his buggy and hang all of the shopping on the back This was all after work do was a regular time of day after nursery . Nightmare. There was a lady in a manual wheelchair who got on at leat three times a week. I used to get up for her pile the shopping onto the floor hand my son to her and collapse the buggy. She would pass me my son and reverse into the space with my buggy wedged behind her wheelchair so it didn't slip. It was quite a good routine and people thought it was funny. We used mock eyeroll at eachother. Eventually she gave me her number and she would text me as she got to the bus stop so I could have the buggy ready collapsed. I miss her now we both work from home

Awww, bless you both. What a lovely working solution you made together.

I do think most people are kind and want to help. I also take the point of travelling outside busy times, which is very sensible.

I am hoping to get to the cinema, I love watching films and they have a cinema at this shopping centre. I would aim to get there around 10.30am and come home around noon.

@Worrysaboutalot
Why hypothetical? You said it yourself, it’s 2 hours wait. I did get off the bus for a few times for a wheelchair with no fuss. I don’t disagree to the priority, but I also think that the circumstances have to be taken into account. Babies have serious needs too pretty often that they didn’t chose to have. It’s not always obvious to the eyes of the others. Being stranded for 2 hours is not fun for a parent either in this situation. Unfortunately, not everyone has money to buy an easily foldable buggy or a ring sling.
I wish we could all acknowledge each other and help each other instead. Even though I left the bus every time I had to, both times there was a space for both wheelchair and a buggy and I always wondered, why I did I have to leave the bus still? Is it a safety issue? (I’m happy to be educated on this). Happily, bus service is frequent here in the major city I live in, but I did have to pay twice back then (a few years ago). The bus driver didn’t give me a ticket or anything and I didn’t know what to do.

Your main obstacle would be another wheelchair user occupying the space before you.

I have never seen a mother/ career refuse to either fold a buggy or get off. However, I’m just one person.

Carry a printed out copy of the law with you.

Remind drivers who are reluctant to ask someone with a pram to fold it up and relocated that you have priority under the law.

If still an issue, contact the company and point out mildly that perhaps a financial settlement from the bus company for not following the law would be very helpful in your life should you be refused entry because of a pram user who has choices while you do not.

You should have priority over non disabled users of the space... whether you really will in reality, remains to be seen.

I would check that buses on your routes are actually accessible, the ones on most of the rural routes I might want to use are not guaranteed to be as the bus companies that service those routes have a number of vehicles that aren't accessible and as of last time I asked, couldn't tell me which buses would be accessible at any given time.

For the disgruntled pram pushers - the chances of you having to get kicked off a rural bus that is the only one for ten years and have to walk or stand in the rain for an eon with a child about to expire from lack of food, uphill in both directions in the snow... is pretty limited.

If you use the bus regularly enough for that to be a higher risk, use a pushchair/pram/some other child conveyance that can be folded, no one is forcing you to use a vast, boat sized buggy that will only fit into a minibus or truck (and no, anyone whose child is disabled I am not talking to you becuse your childs pushchair counts as a wheelchair in this context).

Unfortunately there is still no legal requirement for all public transport to be wheelchair accessible, it was meant to be by this year and its been pushed back again by the current government.

OP, I wish you luck. One of my dear friends was suddenly paralysed from the waist down and used a powered wheelchair to get to and from work (yes, she taught in a primary school). She lived in London, so was at least spared the 2 hour wait between buses, but at least once a fortnight had negative experiences with selfish parents who refused to fold buggies for her and drivers who refused to help.

Very sadly my friend is no longer with us. Your post reminded me of her Facebook moans about public transport. She tried very hard either to see the positives or to write something funny about her awful day.

Definitely have a plan B and keep cash on hand in case you need a taxi. Every time you take a bus, please think of my lovely friend who worked so hard to make "normal life" accessible.

@piwlyfbicsly

Foldable buggies start at £5 on eBay.

Slings can be made by buying £10 of stretchy fabric.

Or hired cheaply from a sling library. These charities make free loans if you don't have much money and bring the sling to your house.

A mother has other options, I do not.

My colleague is disabled and has a blue badge and a mobility car. She has mobility issues, but doesn't need a wheelchair... yet.

HOWEVER, she most certainly couldn't fold her baby’s buggy, whilst holding a baby, and keep herself and baby safe on a bus on a country road. Thank goodness for the car.

I think I need to ring the local bus company and get something in writing off them.

Even with something in writing, people can be arseholes so unfortunately I wouldn’t count on that. If the bus driver won’t enforce priority over a pram there won’t be much you can do at the time.

Theoretically yes, you should take priority, but people are selfish.

wasnt there a court case about this where the driver wouldnt force someone out of the space

even though the judge said it was unlawful that the wheelchair user couldnt use the space he said the drivers couldnt force people off-so it diddnt resolve anything

Being disabled is not the same as having a baby @plwylfiscly and children can also be disabled if we are going down that road is it ok for a parent with a child in a disabled child in a special needs buggie to have to get off the bus and wait for two hours so a parent with a new born doesn't have too 🙄

@Worrysaboutalot
Buggies under £5 for babies? I’m sorry, I couldn’t possibly find anything like this with both my babies. In my experience also the buggy that is folded takes almost as much space as unfolded, so it doesn’t help that much. Plus all the stuff that is taken away from the buggy, etc. Babies are also safer staying in the buggy, rather than being held by a parent. Should any accident happen, baby is a much bigger risk of having a bad injury.
I don’t disagree with your rights, I don’t want to sound negative. I do however wonder how people with invisible disabilities, mental health issues, people with chronic diseases (including mothers), people who need to get somewhere urgently, people who are heading to a medical appointment, can protect their rights. It’s always all or nothing.