Wheelchairs versus buggies court ruling

When my children were tiny there was no such thing as a folding pushchair so all journeys were made on foot. I only used buses when DC were able to walk, DS was way too heavy to ever be carried. In the three years after each child I was the lightest and fittest I have ever been, win win situation.
I am at a loss as to why the mothers now can't walk with their babies.

Nelliemoser yes they were...except thee brakes were rubbish and the studs that held them together used to come off. There was a pram shop in St Albans where the man had a nice little sideline in ending them.
And on more than one occasion my double buggy started slowly gliding down the hill!
However there are similar buggies available now which could be marketed as Bus Buggies.

Mending them, not ending them.

I believe it would do some of these young mums good to get some much-needed exercise pushing their tank-sized buggies instead of getting on at one stop and then ringing to get off at the very next stop! And yes, I have witnessed this recently.

It's not just the child buggies that are way too outsize......little wonder there's precious little room for a wheelchair user who, IMHO, has precedence over these Bessie Bunter mums and their offspring who often look suspiciously too old and too big for a buggy.

There - that rant did me the world of good.

harrigran My first 2 were born within a year of eachother, early 60s. I had a lightweight twin pushchair, always used the bus (no car) to the nearest town, and was able to fold it and put under the stairs of the bus.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of the Disney transportation system. Everyone queues at the bus stop , and when everyone has disembarked, wheelchairs get on , then everyone else .

There's never any disagreement on how this works, the buses are no more spacious than UK buses although they do have less seats and slightly more standing room . There are lots of buggies of all sorts and they either get squeezed in after the wheelchairs or they wait for the next bus.

The only real difference I suspect is the timetable ( more frequent buses) and the driver is in charge, and everyone follows his direction.

Billy sadly it's not 'the law'. As for the 'contract' part of that is that wheelchairs have priority. If a buggy user has to get off, the driver gives them a ticket to use on the next bus. All your scenarios about infrequent buses etc apply with bells on for wheelchair users as gillybob says

BillyW, I think the contract would only extend to picking you up at the start of your journey, allowing you to board and pay, and depositing you at your desired bus stop. I don't think it includes finding space for your buggy, suitcase, shopping trolley etc. I do personally think if you allow a disabled person in a wheelchair to board then the contract covers both the person and the chair. The space available is clearly marked for the wheelchair owner. If we are not going to provide this space then we should go back to filling it with extra seats and insisting on folding trolleys and let the disabled manage as best they can. The old way! But they fought and won the right to travel and I support them fully. As I believe you do.

What happens if the disabled space is filled by a wheelchair and another wheelchair user wants to get on? ( You could go on forever with this thread) also a lot of disabled get disability money for a mobility car or to pay for taxis.

I totally agree with 'gettingonbit'. Who knows who is going to use a bus on any given day.

Is there really an answer to this problem?

What ifs?

I don't understand why buses don't have more seats that fold up. Mums could sit on one seat and fold the seat beside them up to accommodate the pushchair. The seats could also be folded up to fit in a wheelchair when required. With 6 small grandchildren, one of whom is a wheelchair user I've got a foot in both camps but you wouldn't believe how rude some people are towards wheelchair users!

Chrishappy, in that situation the second wheelchair user would have to wait for the next bus, just as people with buggies have to wait if the space is already occupied by a couple of buggies. The point is that the wheelchair space was provided in the first instance specifically for wheelchair users whose groups had fought for and won this provision. Most people who travel by bus have no problem giving up the space if a wheelchair user needs it. There is always the small number who feel they have the greater right to keep their buggy there. Up to that provision buggies had to be folded, inconvenient yes, but it didn't stop you boarding the bus. No provision for a wheelchair does stop the disabled using the bus.
Yes, you can get money for taxis etc if disabled but this has been cut back massively. I believe if you can walk from your front door to your garden gate you are considered mobile and it is reduced. I wait to be corrected on that last point by someone more au fait with the benefit system.