arriva busses

lfc147

I live in rhyl and have two disabled children, and have been refused entry to get on the bus because we have 2 wheelchairs.but there can be people with two buggies but are allowed on.even tho we can fold the wheelchair down.

Matilda

Hi Ifc147 - have you complained to Arriva, 

lfc147

YES I HAVE COMPLAINED AND THEY SAID IT WAS HEALTH AND SAFTY,ALSO MY TO MY AM ANN JONES.

Matilda

What did Ann Jones say?

lfc147

NOTHING CAN BE DONE AS IT IS ARRIVAS HEALTH AND SAFTY POLICY  THEY WONT REPLY TO ME .

Matilda

That's very sad.

Fundamentalist

Hi from Fm. Have you tried the national federation of bus users? or transport focus? You should be able to find their contact details online. You really should try taking this matter further as it sounds like serious discrimination to me, the buses where I live have two wheelchair spaces, at least the single deckers do. Also try going to citizens advice to find out if arriva really can treat you like they have. And try writing to your MP if you don't get a satisfactory response from the NFBU or transport focus. I hope this helps. Fm.

Sam_Alumni

Oh dear @lfc147 is it that they say there isnt room for two wheelchairs?

lfc147

Yes they say only 1 wheelchair allowed  on at any time.so as a two wheelchair  family were not allowed on.

Sam_Alumni

Oh wow, what a difficult situation!! I can see from your side that it must feel that you are being restricted from travel, but then from their side, if it is built for one wheelchair and they allowed two on and there was an accident, they would be liable for any injuries people sustained by having more chairs than deemed safe. 

I think it is time for a redesign of transport so it is vastly more accessible! Seats that move and alter to the needs of the people using them.  

Chris_Alumni

I see that Arriva are in the news today because one of their drivers wouldn't allow a wheelchair user on board - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-38795688

lfc147

Yes read the article just goes to show what kind off company we are dealing with disgusting. 

Fundamentalist

Hi, from Fm. I think you should go and see citizen's advice and find out exactly where you stand legally regarding wheelchairs on buses and find out how much of this is arriva's own rules and what the law actually says. As far as I remember in 2016 all buses in the UK have to be able to take at least one wheelchair. But strangely enough I have seen the odd one still operating that couldn't possibly take a wheelchair on board because it was such an old design with the high steps at the entrance which surely must be illegal now unless it's an old preserved bus being run by enthusiasts for tourists. Fm.

Chris_Alumni

A similar story here, regarding a different bus company  - https://newsexplored.co.uk/disabled-mum-told-she-couldnt-board-bus-after-ruling-in-favour-of-wheelchair-users/

GeoffBosworth195661

lfc147 said:

I live in rhyl and have two disabled children, and have been refused entry to get on the bus because we have 2 wheelchairs.but there can be people with two buggies but are allowed on.even tho we can fold the wheelchair down.

I understand that a law was passed in the commons two weeks ago as some one had been refused and took it to court and won now that wheelchair users have priority over buggies. This needs to be checked out with Wales transport dept.

Sam_Alumni

The issue is @GeoffBosworth195661 that they are saying they cant accommodate more than one wheelchair at a time and @lfc147 has two children in wheelchairs.

GeoffBosworth195661

Thank you Sam on retrofiring I knew some changes had been made. By this time next year probably they may change again. 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @lfc147
How are you getting on?

bendigedig

Hmmm.  Sounds like a job for an "excellent trail blazing solicitor to me"?

this has all the makings of a very interesting test case that could have implications for public transport expectations in the future.  I suspect though that it would never get to court as such large companies have so much say so in the running of our affairs these days.

it was my understanding that dissability access legislation "in spirit" prioritises the needs of a service user over the expense of providing safe and apropriate access to all members of society regardless of dissability?

Its a bit of a raw cheek to expect every local authority to implement 1:12 ramps to all public buildings overnight at the expense of the public purse and then have a massive Private concern like Arriva to shirk its moral responsibility to abide by the same legislation.

how much did Arriva make in profits last year?  If a train company fails to convey the passenger to a destination due to a difficulty with a service are they not obliged to lay on a bus or a taxi?  This womans rights and dignity have not been cosidered fairly here.

i fail to see that Ariva has done anything to satisfy the needs and rights of the customer in question.

this is a matter for a judge and or for policy makers to forge new legislation on..   These companies are making huge profits... Why should they be allowed to duck out of their civic responsibility to provide a service?  

When Crossville ran the busses in North Wales this never would have happened.

SHAME ON ARRIVA...... im afraid I do not see it from thier perspective at all.  Theyve snapped up a local Public Transport service and now they want to turn down a mother and her dissabled children?   Its about time they modified their fleet to meet the needs of the public....This is a travesty!  I bet there actually contractually bound to ensure that there fleet mmets the needs of the paying public..... This is not an extreme expectation!  2 wheelchairs?   

how many more examples are we going to see where these sorts of behaviours go un-regulated and un checked?  Where MPS are often powerless to effect change?  

These corporations need taking to task.  They are getting too big for thier boots.

this lady seems to have complained and yet she seems to have not even recieved an apology let alone compensation for what appears to me to be discriminatory practice on the basis of class and dissability!

Who is going to act on her behalf and get somthing done about this?  Cant SCOPE intervene?  Dont tell me Scope is forbidden from lobbying etc.  Sad state of affairs when the fat cats want to take things back to Victorian times.

SHAME ON ARRIVA

bendigedig

Ive just taken a look at ARRIVAs pre tax profits in recent years.

LOL.  THERE HAVING A LAUGH ARENT THEY?

What have they done with all that money?   Now they are crying because their train rolling stock is to expensive to replace?   No wonder they cant provide adequate bus services to the residents of North Wales!

Executives are getting a massive pay cheque I bet?

They aren't reinvesting money into thier bus fleet and train rolling stock!   Who is regulating these idiots?

Another argument for the renationalisation of our Public Transport infrastructure.