Helen Dudden

Rose_Cottage_24

Bus travel and disabled seating on buses and wheel chair space.  Any comments.

topshoes

Hi @Helen Dudden and welcome, what do you want to know about it please 

Rose_Cottage_24

Is anyone else having any problems?

topshoes

when i have to get a bus its seems ok ,  what are you finding it hard with then on the bus .

Rose_Cottage_24

Last week, a pushchair managed to get the space, I usually wait till last for the ramp.  They refused to collapse pushchair for 2 year old.  She did get in front of me. Bath to Bristol.
Also, an issue with disabled seating that is no longer disabled, first who gets there.
Not all disabilities are visible.
Supreme Court verdict on wheelchair rights.

topshoes

if at a bus stop there is wheelchair and pushchair and pushchair is before wheelchair person, the bus driver will ask the pushchair to be close , there is some seats where wheelchairs / pushchair are but any one can seat there but if someone with pushchair or wheelchair they got to move and they do with out being ask  in kent this is  

Rose_Cottage_24

The seats are labelled disabled. But only if someone is willing to give to a disabled person.
The wheelchair space is shared with pushchair and wheelchair taking President.  It is difficult to police, if pushchair is unwilling to collapse or move.

topshoes

  you are in your right to  phone up the bus people and make a complaint ,  yes this is not good at all 

Rose_Cottage_24

I have and did.  We are finding it more and more difficult, to hang on to the disabled areas on buses, it's not policed and respected enough.  But a bus driver has enough to do, and it should be made clear by Government and Manager's.  You can't expect disabled people to work and travel with this attitude. 

topshoes

all i can say is phone up and see what they say about it  x

Rose_Cottage_24

Have a good day,  many thanks.

topshoes

o no this is not good at all , our drivers are ok , i always get on the early bus so i can get a seat 

topshoes

thank you and you , you are more then welcome 

Rose_Cottage_24

A lady travels from outskirts of Bristol with ME to work at Bath Uni.  Two young women were very rude about disability and moved from disabled seating.  We all know the world is not a perfect place.  So think on other lines.
Two separate spaces suitable for wheelchairs or pushchair. We are finding success is creating more problems, accessible travel!

Ami2301

I have been in a similar position as yourself @Rose_Cottage_24

I rarely use public transport, although I went on the bus about 2 months ago, travelling there was fine however the problem arised when we were due to travel back. I use a powered wheelchair. The bus arrived and as we tried to get on, we got told that there was no room. There were 2/3 pushchairs already on the bus. 

Fortunately, buses run every 5/10 minutes in Norwich so I didn’t mind as much. I live out in the country where the bus service runs approximately every 2 hours, if the same problem arose where I live then I would not be able to travel.

I would like to travel more on the bus but situations like these deter me.

Public transport needs to become more accessible for us. Only some trains, cars and taxis are fully accessible and can be adapted to suit everyone’s needs.

topshoes

yes i know it is so hard some people just dont understand , and to be unkind  to someone with disability or to make fun of them is a different matter , and i would say some thing to who ever even being on my own at bus stop 

Rose_Cottage_24

There does need to be some guidelines, I use a Power Chair, and live in a country area. With it getting darker much quicker, this attitude could cause safety issue's.
Rail travel is more organised, a carriage reserved for disabled travellers.  Safety, is an issue, should anything go wrong on that train.

topshoes

yes i do agree with you on about the  buses and in the dark, is so ridiculus at times , yes i live in the country to and there was on two lights on main road and every road when i moved up here when i was younger every one was phoning in about it  as so dark and dangerous they put up more lights got one outside my house , thats good then have not been on a train for years ,what should be done on a train can the wheelchair move then when you put brakes on 

Rose_Cottage_24

No,  got great brakes, always test as I go up a ramp area near my bungalow.  Just having new wheelchair, Salsa.  Better for my back.  Roma Marbella alright on Waitrose or M and S floors, but roads and pavements another story.

topshoes

so your wheelchair is good in one way but not another , you would think that when they make them they would look at all angles

Rose_Cottage_24

It's understanding what we need too.  I never when I got this one.

Garza

I am so glad I drive, public transport is a joke for wheelchair users, one space on each bus and one space on a train in standard class. In relation to buses I think that someone took this to the high court and lost, the court said something along the lines of " wheelchair users should not expect preferential treatment or have the right to a certain space" this means that drivers will rarely get involved in these situations and sadly I can only see things getting worse