Bus driver refused me boarding in wheelchair

[MobilityCat]

I was refused boarding again recently but because I now know the law I jammed the door open and told him that I won't move until he let me on. I quoted the law below and he gave up and cleared the wheelchair space for me.

"S24 of the Public Passenger Vehicle Act 1981 states

Bus drivers refusing to allow wheelchair users onto buses where the wheelchair space is either unoccupied or occupied by people who can readily and reasonably move are committing a crime. They can be prosecuted, given a £500 fine and 3 penalty points."

When my children were little, we only had little minibus things, so we had no choice but to fold prams to get on. I don't see why pushchair owners make such a big deal about folding them. It's literally what they're designed for. Makes me so cross.

@Paloma66 which part do you disagree with? That buses are frequently that busy, or that standing in the wheelchair space because there’s no seats or space in the aisle doesn’t automatically make you entitled? As I said, if it happens people should get off, but I can see how the situation arising in first place isn’t necessarily caused by selfishness or malice.

And just how long do you think the wheelchair user should wait for a rush hour bus that has room for them to easily board?

can't understand how we don't yet have space for both wheelchair and buggys - separate spaces!!

I've seen them on buses in loads of other Countries I've visited!! it's ridiculous.

Jesus! How many times do I have to say that people should get off to make space! I was only pointing our that “moving up” wasn’t always an option and that sometimes it might require people getting off, and that didn’t think simply being in a crowded bus in the first place doesn’t make someone “entitled”.

Well done OP.

The priority is for wheelchairs even if a pram user was there first and the baby in it is a newborn. I would and have got off the bus when a wheelchair user got on board. The space is for wheelchair users it's just a bonus that prams can use it.

Cross posted Agree nothing wrong with people standing in the spot if it's not needed.

Exactly - wheelchair users fought long and hard for those spaces. They are a perk for buggy users when a wheelchair user doesn't require them, but not an entitlement for anyone but a wheelchair user.

Good on you, I reported a bus driver once who refused to let on a child in a wheelchair, I hope the people also complained that was with the child so thought it would help if others also complained about it.

'The' Disabled??

I’ve opted to debus before when a wheelchair user needed to get on

It wasn’t a far walk, and it was easier for me to get off and walk, rather than trying to get my sleeping toddler out so I could fold the pram.

Now I need to use a wheelchair, I hope other people have the same reaction.

Good for you. Please report the incident anyway, as a possible need for training and support for drivers.

Good for you op. The entitled cunts that refuse to move their oversized prams disgust me.

The place for a buggy is the luggage rack imo. Dc on your knee is an acceptable request. I used to go shopping with 4 x dc. 1 in a sling. Handed toddler to driver or willing passenger. Fold buggy and board! Pay fares and retrieve dc!!
Can't imagine preventing a wheelchair user their designated space..

Well done @MobilityCat , and I say that as owner of a double buggy who uses the bus a lot and preferentially parks in the wheelchair space.
Often I've tried to tell the driver we'll move around so the person can get on I their wheelchair and they just wave it off and pull away
More people should do what you do

Put of interest, when? Cos good luck getting the driver from behind their door these days to give them a kid. And no way and I balancing new twins in my arms or hanging them over to people in the midst of a pandemic to fit my double buggy into a half height "luggage rack" because it'll fall out and cause an accident.
The last line I agree with tho.

Most buses don’t have luggage racks any more. The wheelchair space is in that spot. I’ve been refused boarding with a folded buggy because there is nowhere to put them.

Most buses have two spaces. One for wheelchairs and one for buggies, with the caveat that wither space can be used by other people when not in use. It's only the former that has legal protection so to speak tho.
If you catch a bus around a primary school in a working class area, even two spaces can mean you're waiting for 3 buses before you can fit on.

Which buses have a luggage rack? Not in London

The london buses have now stuck a massive evening standard box to hold the newspapers in the luggage rack so can't even use those for the buggy or luggage anymore ffs

I may be misunderstanding you here but surely if you felt so bad about wheelchair users like myself being "waved off" and prevented from boarding, you wouldn't park your double buggy in the wheelchair space in the first place?

I'm so sorry you had to defend yourself, pleased it worked though.

I would say write to the bus company and your MP and do a press release. And if there were any witnesses so much the better!

It's a leadership, management and training issue.

Most buses where? Not around my way they don't.

What on earth does the "working class" status of an area have to do with this?

Same here!
Buggies were always folded on those small buses.
Nowadays buggies are so huge, and are often parked in Wheelchair spaces while the kid/s sit with the adult whop is with them.