Wheelchair VS buggy on a bus

I just got declined entrance onto a bus by a first bus driver. The reason was a pram. Which wasn’t even in use. The woman had her children on her lap but the pram was in the wheelchair space and the driver refused to even ask her to move. He drove off whilst I was talking to him. I have never felt more degraded or victimised because of my disability. My wheelchair is something I’ve only just felt safe and comfortable in. I’m humiliated. I told him about the fact I had a right to the space and he just ignored that I was speaking like I was nothing.
I posted this on my Twitter 2 days ago and have received over 300 likes and 140 retweets. I never realised that this was a regular occurrence. In the last few days I have spoken to Doug Pauley who took first to the Supreme Court in 2017 and won. I wish to bring forward a similar case as it is obvious nothing has changed since his victory. Please let me know your opinions on what happened and if any of you have advice or contacts that could help me with my case I would really appreciate you getting in touch.
Thanks Jasmine
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I hope other members will be able to share their experiences and advice with you.
If there is anything we can do to help then please do let us know!
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A while ago I shouted at a 1st bus driver cos he wouldn't move a pram.took the drivers photo that woke him up.
He said I'd broken the lawt taking his photo, I told him going to put you on the net for committing hate crime. He toldthat women to fold her pram down or get off. She folded it.
I'd advise any disabled person to take the bus drivers photo.
Iv had loads of surport from people on buses.and putting drivers photo on bus site works
It's up to disabled people to surport each other
Next comes im not moving the bus till your out of the wheelchair users way
Nearly everybody on the bus agree with not moving the bus.
Cos pram pushers think their ride is the only one that matters they dont want to.wait so fold or get off.
There usually a lot of abuse to the wheelchair user and alot of remarks said to the pram pusher from us but when they know the bus isnt moving they do fold or get off
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Some of the dogs could fit under the sits but some are too big and they can't lyr in the alsie
https://www.facebook.com/1Voice.Vision.of.the.heart/
It happened to me once...an elderly lady had put her shopping trolley in the wheelchair space. The driver told her to move it...She put it on her feet.
I felt bad and all the other passengers were looking at me.
I dont use buses anymore
When a wheelchair user needs to use the wheelchair space
Of course, wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely. Non-wheelchair users, unlike wheelchair users, will normally have a choice about which part of the bus to sit or stand in.
Common decency and respect for wheelchair users should mean that other passengers make way for them. Passengers are urged to offer cooperation in allowing proper use of the designated wheelchair area.
If the wheelchair space is occupied with a buggy, standing passengers or otherwise full, and there is space elsewhere in the vehicle, the driver will ask that it is made free for a wheelchair user. Where a pushchair or buggy is occupying the space, the driver will ask that it is repositioned, moved to another part of the bus or folded and stored in the luggage space, where available.
If passengers do not respond to such a request, without good reason, and the bus is not full, the driver will advise passengers that they are required to move from the wheelchair space. The driver will consider other action such as not setting off from the stop until the situation is resolved.
https://www.firstgroup.com/bus-accessibility
So I suggest your first port of call is to complain to First Bus using the form at the bottom of the page here - https://www.firstgroup.com/help-and-support
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