Wheelchairs Or Pushchairs: Who Should Take Priority On Buses? (Part 2)

[SlackAlice]

Update on an earlier thread

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-30376446


Earlier thread

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1379089-6.html

[BRIGHT SPARK]

FN...so why cant it be folded?

[bhg481]

BS - yes, the pass is the same as the OAP pass, so you could argue a fare has been paid but not by the traveller.

[SlackAlice]

Just a point here.

The disabled wheelchair gets 'free' travel at source. That 'free' travel is paid for in a similar manner to Freedom passes.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Thanks bhg...now were getting somewhere.

[FrogNog]

Why can't a wheelchair be folded BS? That's just silly.

[237SJ]

I`m not sure what having to pay for a ticket or not has to do with it. The conditions of carriage would be the same regardless.

[FrogNog]

free travel is not a guarantee of a particular vehicle.
You have to wait for the next one, the same as anyone else does when it's full. That's equality.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

FN...not the wheelchair ..the pushchair :-)

[237SJ]

I guess the situation on the bus regarding wheelchair v pushchair space is a "nice to do" rather than a "must do" in the same way that there are seats for the disabled and others less able to stand but you can`t force able bodied people out of those seats if they have chosen to sit there.

[bazwillrun]

"but you can`t force able bodied people out of those seats if they have chosen to sit there. "

are but you can...we live in an age where the minority can have there way when it suits....

[waterboatman]

The court of appeal got that so wrong in my opinion. The wheelchair user should have priority. Every time.

[Peter Pedant]

// Sounds like the Court of Appeal saying "That one is above my paygrade"//

yes it is depressing when a court that can make law says:
O I dont think we should be making law that is someone elses job now altho we agree we used to do it ( alot )

[Peter Pedant]

seems very obvious that there is no one in the bench of the Court of Appeal who a) needs a wheelchair
b) uses public transport

[joeluke]

Wheelchair user gets on bus and the space is already taken by another wheelchair user or baby in buggy

Woman with baby in buggy gets on bus and the space is already taken by another baby in buggy or wheelchair user

In both cases the person wishing to get on the bus needs to wait for the next one

Disabled people have equal rights, not special ones

[meglet]

The person in the pushchair can't walk, the person in the wheelchair can't walk. In my eyes they are the same. You may say that the Mum can push her buggy, but so the wheelchair can push their chair, so why should one have priority over the other?

Many have said the buggy should be folded to allow the wheelchair user on. Maybe you should try taking a small child shopping then take the bus home if you think it's that easy! You would have to declutter the buggy of bags first, then give your baby to someone else to hold, then fold the buggy and then stash it, get your baby back, and then hope there is actually a seat left to sit with them. I would not be happy to give my child to a perfect stranger to hold, assuming that there is even someone willing to help you!

In this scenario, if I had one stop to go and had to do the above , I can understand why mums refuse. As someone said before, the law states equality not preference.

[Mamyalynne]

Meglet,I have repeatedly outlined such a scenario - people cooperate and help Mum with baby/shopping buggy -but now you say you wouldn't even hand baby toa stranger for a moment.

Community is indeed sunk if we all act like that.

[meglet]

Mamya, you're assuming there will always be other people willing or able to help. What if there isn't? And even if there is, some babies get hysterical when handed to strangers.

It's just not black and white. Those that think it is need to walk a mile in othe's shoes.

[Mamyalynne]

Well of course it isn't - obviously if there is no one to help and the driver/ can't/won't that's a problem. If the baby is prone to such hysteria Mum could say, I'll hold Baby and you sort buggy/shopping.


It's just that where I'm from folk roll their sleeves up and muck in.

I didn't
mean to imply life was the same for everyone.


I guess I'm lucky,my Babies were the pass the parcel type and now I am visually impaired and use a walking stick I do get offers of help from folk.