buses with steps...

[leckershell]

Anybody ever complained about them?

Just wondering because it's really getting on my wick recently that whole routes never have drop down buses on, and the fact that Lou pointed out in my UK facilities thread that they should do because of disability discrimination.

I don't mind folding down my pushchair don't get me wrong. But.. today I had the pushchair attachment on my Buzz instead of the carseat. So I had to detach the attachment, fold down the thing, and then sit on the bus with Ryan on my lap only to have to re set it up the other end. I should have taken a photo - the bus driver was holding Ryan for me!!!

But surely this isn't acceptable. What would a disabled person have done? Ok If they have a carer they would have had a little help, but people in wheelchairs etc would have had no chance!

Is it worth complaining? Has anyone else bothered?

I'm the writing-to-complain type... I got Telford's big car park changed so that the first half hour of parking is free for disabled people because they can take that long to get in and out of the car and it's not as if they can do anything about it...

Your views I feel like I should complain because it's blatantly unacceptable, but would I just get fobbed off..?

 

[Minxy]

As a fellow public transport mummy, this fecks me off!

Most of my routes are push on now, although it doesn't stop the old dears saying loudly to each other 'do you remember when WE had to collapse our pushchairs?' , but the one route is only just changing over so it's risky to arrange to meet people as sometimes I have to wait for 3 services (an hour)

I don't get on unless it's push-on. Stanley is in a Pliko Pramette which doesn't fold neatly and is as heavy as a rhino, plus he is of an age where he legs it as soon as feet touch the floor. It's too risky.

I was getting ready to complain when the last route started to change, but if I was you I'd whinge, whinge, whinge!!

 

[zebrastripes]

This winds me up so much. I live 4 miles away from the nearest village and about 30 from the town,so i'm pretty dependant on buses-which only come every hour if even that,from the village One bus a week actually comes past my house

But anyway,some eejit wrote into the local paper complaining about us rude mothers and our pushchairs being a nuisance on the bus,and about how bus drivers should only let one on.

So what are they expecting the drivers to do? Say to someone "Oh no sorry,that woman before you filled up the allocated pushchair space,so you'll just have to wait an hour in the cold for the next bus?"

I don't think so some how!

 

[clairescunny55]

i would complain. it really gets on my nerves when i have to wake ryan up to fold up pushchair, and with a silver cross 3d you have to take the carry cot out, and the cover then fold it up, which is why im getting a petite star zia tomorrow

I seem to remember someone in our area writing in to our evening telegraph, and a few months later every bus i saw on my route were the low floor ones with space for 2 prams/wheelchairs.

 

[Gemma & Jake]

Most of the buses around here are super riders but occasionally you might get a bus with steps and a bar in the middle. I don't usually get the bus because I drive but just before Christmas I got the bus in to town because I knew it would be a nightmare to park. I had loads of bags on the pram and on the way back the bus turned up and it had steps. I had to get Jake out of the pram and try to fold the buggy up whilst holding him and loads of bags. The bus driver just sat there looking at me while I struggled and then once I had got on he got off to have a fag I was not impressed. Luckily a young girl was getting off at the same bus stop as me so she carried the buggy off for me. I think that all buses should be super riders now and really I should have complained but I never got around to it. It puts people off using public transport.

 

[kitten1102]

It took me an hour and a half to get a bus the other day. Because we are using the travel system, and OH has the car during the day, I would have to take the carseat off, fold the pushchair, and get the changing bag on the bus if it has steps. It annoys me that none of the drivers are ever willing to help...

We do have the easy access buses, but there don't seem to be that many of them in High Wycombe at the moment!!!

Lets hope it doesn't take so long tomorrow... Tim has jabs and I would like to get there and back as quickly as poss!!!!

 

[Redshoes]

There is a certain bus route to our shopping centre that always has buses with steps, so you know to take the babyhawk.. however, most buses on our routes don't have steps, if they do then you have to fold buggy or just wait for next one, I think it would be worth writing a letter about it but I doubt very much they'll change anything, its the older buses, they need to get up to date.

 

[leckershell]

Ok... well my stepdad is in a wheelchair and occasionally him and my mum come to visit us... so...

I just rang Traveline to find out how we could travel Tamworth to Sutton Coldfield with a wheelchair and a pushchair. They put me through to the bus company, Arriva, and I was told that there was nothing they could do to help because every bus on that route has steps, but that new buses should be on that route next year.

That's no use though is it, Ryan would be walking by then..! Surely they should at least have 1 bus on the route that doesn't have steps even if we have to wait longer for it..?

Grr..!

I knew they would say that but I was surprised they wouldn't give me an alternative... they had nothing to suggest at all.

How pathetic.

 

[Minxy]

Ok... well my stepdad is in a wheelchair and occasionally him and my mum come to visit us... so...

I just rang Traveline to find out how we could travel Tamworth to Sutton Coldfield with a wheelchair and a pushchair. They put me through to the bus company, Arriva, and I was told that there was nothing they could do to help because every bus on that route has steps, but that new buses should be on that route next year.

That's no use though is it, Ryan would be walking by then..! Surely they should at least have 1 bus on the route that doesn't have steps even if we have to wait longer for it..?

Grr..!

I knew they would say that but I was surprised they wouldn't give me an alternative... they had nothing to suggest at all.

How pathetic.

Train into Birmingham and back out?

Lengthy, but do-able.

 

[leckershell]

Oh yeah it's do-able.. and in that scenario we would most likely just use my mums car I just wanted to know what they had to say because they should have been able to cater for us. It's crap innit.