London buses: b*gger off with your buggy

[bakedpotato]

Today I was told I couldn't get on a bus with my buggy, as 'there's already a pushchair on board.' Actually, the other mum had already been obliged to collapse it: the buggy bay itself was empty. Had massive dingdong with driver, the rest of the bus joined in, and rather wonderfully they all backed me up, even though it delayed the journey. He let me on in the end, but threw off 2 women who were rather, ahem, aggressive in their support (bless 'em). I will complain.
A friend had a similar experience last week. When she spoke to TFL later, I think she was told bus drivers are now no longer obliged to take more than one buggy (though IME the majority do, happily). This is super-madness! Can anyone shed any light?

how strange.
my only non positive experience with buses and buggies was when the people in the bus looked on at me whilts i struggled with a double urban detour. bus drivers have always been great ime

Odd, isn't it? I travelled everywhere by bus in London between 2003/04, no problem with two buggies in the bay at all. Since moving out, only used London buses twice -both times told to fold our buggy as there was already one other on the bus. No idea what's going on.

I think I may in part to blame. There is a new rule saying that no-one can board at the back, which I think might be related to my complaint. Unfortunately though I can't fit on most buses at the front with my hulking pram. It does collapse but is far too heavy and bulky to carry one handedly. Travel is now even harder. The one pram rule is apparently because people refused to collapse their prams/buggies to allow disabled people on . They have all quite rightly complained, and action has been taken to ensure they can ride, at the detriment of us parents to an extent though unfortunately.

Obviously if a wheelchair user came along when DS was in the buggy bay (for want of a better term), I'd collapse buggy and move elsewhere. There are sizeable notices making the point that wheelchairs have priority there, and that seems entirely reasonable.
It's laughable really, the routemasters were condemned for being buggy-unfriendly, then along comes this new rule.
He really was a despicable little man.

friend of mine was told there wasn't any room for her pushchair and as she started to fold it up (umbrella style one) the bus driver said "oh i can't wait for you", closed the doors & buggered off

Busdriver told me a while ago 'this is a non-buggy bus' and whizzed off.

Tosser.

I've had more problems with passengers than bus drivers. They shove and push to get in front on me as I get on the bus, or refuse to get out of the way as I try and manoeuvre into or out of the buggy space. I hardly ever get any help getting on or off either. One school girl even told me that I couldn't get on the bus because I had a buggy. The bus driver told her to shut up.

Ive never heard of this one buggy rule!! Surely that is for unfolded buggies anyway? Was always told no more than two buggies which is fair enough as generally there isnt room for more than two. and of course they should be folded up if a wheelchair gets on board I thought that was totally understood.

I think its such a shame that such a brillaint facility is being taken away from parents because a tiny number of people abuse the system (that includes people who refuse to move for buggies, the odd bloody minded bus driver and the few parents who refuse to fold up their buggies when this is necesary ie to accomodate a wheelchair).

TBH Ive had very few problems on any buses with our buggy and the few Ive had have been with other parents refusing to move up and accomodate another buggy (only happened twice mind) rather than busdriveres. Maybe Ive just been lucky or our bus drivers are all just fantastic. (Im in SW london BTW)

I've stopped travelling by bus because of this. What gets me is that the people already on there often have great big hulking toddlers that could easily walk onto the bus whereas with a newborn or young baby and a bag trying to fold a buggy and hold a wriggling child is very difficult.