Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users

[DuelingFanjo]

story

First Bus wins wheelchair court judgement - Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled.

Might be a controversial opinion but I am glad.

WUME - have you ever been asked to move for a wheelchair user?

You must live near me hazeyjane, my buses look like that! I wanted to take a photo of the folded pushchair on the bus today but thought I'd look crazy so chickened out.

It's coming to something when the Daily Fail comments are more tolerant than a MN thread!
Very true

I've never been asked but I have moved. I saw the wheelchair at the bustop and moved before the driver asked.

But I was with dh and friends. So he held my 2yo while I folded and then went to place the buggy in the luggage rack - whereby the driver told me I couldn't do that as it wasn't safe so I stood and held it and nearly fell over every time we went round a corner

I've just read a blog post from the Netherlands (in my quest to find out what happens in other countries). The Mum was the third onto the tram with a buggy and as there is space for only two buggies she was instructed to collapse the buggy by the conductor. The she heard yapping coming from one of the other buggies - it was transporting a dog . She refused to collapse her buggy so that a dog could travel in an unfolded one and the conductor relented and allowed all three buggies to be unfolded .

Lord Justice Lewison said: "The judge seems to me to have thought that the needs of wheelchair users trumped all other considerations.

"If that is what he meant, I respectfully disagree."

I think that's pretty fair to be honest.

Another problem is that the drivers done want to wait while you fold.

Have you read the thread Yoruba?

I'm not from the Netherlands despite my name!

I find it very hard and depressing to believe how little understanding some people can have, Babiecakes.

I saw a couple with a dog in a buggy in our local town. They crossed the road in front of my car, I was with DS2 fortunately or no-one would've believed me. I wanted to drive round the block so we could get a photo, but he would have been late for school!

Sauvignon, I am glad I could be crazy enough for both of us!

I don't know how old the buses are, they are the majority of buses here, apart from old coaches (no wheelchair or buggy space) and the red double deckers, which also have a luggage space (and must be new - they have phone/ipad charger sockets in the seats!)

Babiecakes . I'm so mad that people have treated you and your son like that.

There is an elderly lady near me who I see regularly with her two little dogs in a pushchair, they hop out every now and then to walk ans then hop back in again.

For goodness sake! I have said people in wheelchairs need provision of their own. Why don't people read my post!! Provision for buggies (folded) and provision for wheelchairs should not be mutually exclusive!!

Babie I'm sorry people have treated you and your son like that too. It really isn't on.

I'm working through it thefairycaravan but it's 17 pages long.

Was what I said somehow irrelevant because where I'm at it's still seems pretty fair?

Yes, imo if you read the whole thread parents of children witn SNs and disabled people have tried to explain why it really isn't fair.

'people in wheelchairs need provision of their own'

They have it. At least until entitled buggy users pilfer it.

If buggy users are not having their needs met, and they are the huge source or revenue for bus companies the posters here say they are, then it should be no issue for them at all to lobby bus companies for better provision for them.

Can't add the link but the Oxford Mail had an article about new buses running there with separate wheelchair and buggy spaces. Discuss.

Bless him my very good friend got so annoyed about this he created a petition. I don't know if posting the link is allowed so if you want it pm me.

He's seen what my family has been put through (we have 2 kids who use wheelchairs).

If other bus users are taking wheelchair spaces then those wheelchair users do not have 'provision of their own'. That is surely the point of this thread? If it because other users needs are not being met then it is in the interests of both groups that they are. Until then there will always be incidences of conflict which will not be solved by simply condemning one group or the other.

wheelchair space are there already. the provision has been met.
the problem is now with a minority of parents who insist on using them.