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Have Lothian buses stopped letting prams on?

71 replies

weeglenny · 19/07/2008 09:14

Just asking because I was down at Ocean Terminal the other day and the bus driver said that as my pram wouldn't fold down like a pushchair, he couldn't let me on and said it was a new policy of Lothian Buses

I've checked their website and couldn't find anything, tried calling them but no answer so just wondering if anyone else has heard this?

TIA

OP posts:

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nailpolish · 03/08/2008 16:59

oh MB you are so practical

chloe111 · 08/08/2008 02:02

hello, been reading your forum regarding lothian buses and prams/buggies! sadly i am a driver for lothian and i always accomodate women with buggies wherever i can. i have 2 little girls and full know the difficulty pushing a buggy on a bus.it seems lothian are taking it too far going down the legal route. other companies leave it up to the drivers discretion. Lothian do tent to bully the drivers a lot and handing out final warnings if a plain clothes manager is on the bus and a pram is there or a buggy is misplaced. i do know there are a bad few apples in the company but not all are, most would gladly allow you on the bus to get home. there has been a few cases where people refused to fold a buggy for a wheelchair and this is where problems arise but we always try to accomodate.we do now however have large signs of paper in the garages telling us what is allowed and not but some look the same so we are none the wiser. good luck wth your petition, i for one would support it, being a parent isnt easy i know. hope i didnt go on too long and dont shout at me because im a driver, i do have feelings too. good luck
xxx

bookswapper · 08/08/2008 23:02

i am furious because i have tickets for shows and need to use bus..have pram for little one and also a toddler
how many other mums are marooned now? and how many other new mums wont even try?
"thanks driver"

MadameOvary · 08/08/2008 23:26

chloe111 thanks for posting, good to get the drivers perspective.

chloe111 · 09/08/2008 01:45

Hello again all. his item is getting pretty personal in the company. Lothian Management wil not budge and if any driver questions the decisions they get verbal warnings for doing so,some drivers including myself are ignoring the managers and allowing discretion and getting parents and children home. some buggies are unfortunately to big to board the vehicles and have to be refused. today we have had another 3 or 4 bugy users refusing to fold the buggy for a wheelchair one threatened assault to the driver if he dared to ask again. i believe this is now going to go above the company and into ministers for reviewing. i urge as many people as possible to contact lothian to complain but i doubt if it will go any further, going above the heads is the way forward.

HereComeTheGirls · 09/08/2008 07:08

I am starting to feel quite sorry for the drivers. In fact they have been extra nice to me recently with my buggy, I sense that they feel bad about the whole thing

bookswapper · 09/08/2008 08:10

i dont feel sorry for the rude ones at all...who do they think they are taking it out on parents in front of their kids? (happened to me on a 26 from princes street)
if management has mishandled this (and it seems it has in many ways - misinformation, no communication, heavy handedness) then the drivers have every right to complain to their employers (and to their union?)
and customers are probably now sticking THEIR heels in because they feel they are being victimised because of a lack of commonsense

lots of wheelchair users (well, 2) writing to News asking for a commonsense approach

edinburgh folk use the buses a lot so they have every right to feel aggrieved. this perceived parent hating is coming just after the attempted closure of edinburgh leisure's creches AND primary schools AND some nursery fees rising....all council linked organisations...I really do feel fed up

MadameOvary · 09/08/2008 12:02

Hang on - at least 3 people refusing to fold a buggy to let a wheelchair on? WTF is wrong with these people? They are not being asked to get off the bus!

Refusing to fold your buggy is not sticking your heels in, its just bloody-mindedness and reinforces to LRT that what they are doing is right. That sort of protest (if that is what it was) just pisses everyone off and makes no progress whatsoever.

bookswapper · 09/08/2008 17:39

exactly Madame O - the two sides are getting entrenched

bookswapper · 09/08/2008 17:39

exactly Madame O - the two sides are getting entrenched

mawbroon · 09/08/2008 20:39

I was just thinking about this thread the other day.

There was a woman in front of me waiting to get on the bus. She had a child in a wheelchair, but it was one of those wheelchairs that looks like a big buggy IYKWIM. I'm sorry, there probably is a correct name for it, but I am afraid I don't know what it is.

So, anyway, there was already a buggy on the bus, so the driver said to the woman with the wheelchair that she would have to fold it. She had to explain that it was actually a wheelchair and that the girl was disabled. The other lady who was already on with the buggy happily folded her buggy and then the wheelchair went into the wheelchair space.

No point to my story really, but it made me think of this thread.

MadameOvary · 09/08/2008 21:38

Mawbroon the point there is that people were reasonable - which is as it should be.

TheCrackFox · 10/08/2008 00:23

Bookswapper - you are right, there does seem to be alot of parent/children hating from the powers that be in Edinburgh. I have been affected by school closures and creche closures. It seems to be a concerted campaign to make us all move to Livingstone/Dunfermline/Dalkeith and keep Edinburgh for young professionals.

Yes, let's not have mums on buses because it is much better to have them trapped and isolated at home.[hmmm] I am just passed the buggy stage but I really feel for new mums now. It is discrimination plain and simple.

Why don't they have posters up saying that wheelchair users have priority by law? Then everyone would know where they stood.

MadameOvary · 10/08/2008 00:44

TheCrackFox - there are signs on the buses clearly stating that the space must be vacated for a wheelchair.
I am not at the buggy stage either btw, and pissed off that I cant take DD out in her Aria/car seat combo.

bookswapper · 10/08/2008 07:52

this is the demographic the council is representing so perhaps their anti-parent stance should be no surprise!

I'm off to lie down....rant paused!

CouldYouWouldYouWithaGoat · 10/08/2008 09:08

whingey gits! edinburgh has fantastic amenities for parents adn kids. the bus service is excellent if a little crowded. i can't believe anyone would begrudge a wheelchair user a space on the bus.

Babyramone · 10/08/2008 12:38

This happened to me last year.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=9&threadid=333821#6764746

I was very confused by it and at the time felt awful.

I always folded but if used bigger pushchair and folding more trouble than worth would get off and either walk or wait for next bus.

An other thhing that once happened was I was on bus with freestyler with just turned year DD and 4 year old DS. I was sitting in the space when this other mother wheeled her Mclaren on. Her DD was roughly 4 and she had a few bags.
The driver asked her to fold. She started ranting and giving me dirty looks. HER dd was delighted and went rushing to a seat further back. She was told to come back and they sat right behind me. The mother then moaned how just cause pepple have two kids they shouldn't take all the space up. When I got up to get off bus she started unfolding but another big pram wanted on so driver (very politely)asked her to keep folded.
Left them all ranting at each other.

josy · 22/08/2008 09:55

I and i'm sure most other mums with folding buggies will be willing to fold them if the space is required by someone using a wheelchair but this really isn't the issue here. If you have a pram that doesn't fold or if your child is too young to sit or stand by itself while you do fold your buggy then you are effectively being told not you can't use lrt buses. Lets not forget that many mums with young babies may also be trying to get to doctors or hospital appointments. As i've already said i have never refused or had a problem moving for a wheelchair user and have even got of four stops earlier to allow them access(without so much as a thankyou)and as long as i am using a buggy will continue to do so.

MadameOvary · 23/08/2008 00:13

Quite right josy.

Sagie · 10/09/2008 12:24

There is now an E-PETITION with the SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT on this matter. Sign up and pass it on!

epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=273

Gill2AZ · 16/12/2011 15:46

Lothian buses are considering charging extra money for parents and carers with buggies. Do you think it is fair to pay extra?
see Babies on buses facebook page and website.

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