Letters to the Editor

Stagecoach defended

There is actually a reason for this. I was recently on a bus with a wheelchair space and it already had two buggies on board. When the third buggy went to get on the bus driver refused. When I asked why, I was told that there had been an incident where a wheelchair user had been unable to get on the bus(es) (with the wheelchair space) because there were buggies in the way. The wheelchair user rightly complained and Stagecoach immediately put in force new rulings.

The wheelchair space is put on the bus in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act to allow wheelchairs to use buses. If there is no wheelchair, then mums benefit by being able to use that space (which wouldn't otherwise be there). If there are more than two buggies then it would be difficult to get the wheelchair on board safely. If the buggy user is willing to fold up the buggy it isn't unreasonable to carry them but some people refuse to do so and in some cases have been extremely rude to the driver and others when asked.

Therefore, the driver has to make sure that in the event of a wheelchair user getting on, there is a space for them - they have priority after all.

Anon

Well there you have it, although we while we agree that wheelchair users have a right to have enough room to get on a bus, we have it on good authority the mum who wrote to us was trying to get on a practically empty bus with no other buggies on board.

Drivers are there to be helpful to their customers, and a sleeping baby is a quiet baby. Believe me, I know. How you're then supposed to get the folded push-chair, the baby and your shopping onto the bus by yourself is another matter.

We certainly can't condone people being rude to bus drivers, like other workers in the public sector they have a right to do their jobs without being harassed and abused and we've certainly seen atrocious behaviour from the usual pissed up twats going in town of a Friday night.

Either way, there's no need for jumped up wannabe parking wardens to be complete bitches about letting people on buses.

- The Editor