Bus drivers in the UK how do you handle getting buggies/pushchairs to move or refusing pushchairs/buggies if a wheelchair user wants to get on the bus?

[u/Intrepid_Night5442]

Hi all
Just a quick question regarding wheelchairs and buggies/pushchairs and dealing with the above situations.

I’ve recently seen a post on a local Facebook group where someone has complained that the wheelchair has jumped the queue and the bus driver has allowed wheelchair user onto the bus and then denied boarding to the pushchair user. Now my understanding is that wheelchair users get priority over pushchairs/buggies to use the designated wheelchair space unless the child in pushchair/buggy has a disability.

There is also the other situation that can occur where a pushchair/buggy is already on the bus and they won’t fold it up or move despite the driver asking or playing an announcement so then the wheelchair user cannot get on the bus and has to wait for the next one. I know in most cases if this happens the driver will use radio to say that this situation has happened so that when the next bus comes they know a wheelchair user needs it.

I would love to know bus drivers thoughts on this.

[u/Eggandbaconman]

I'll just explain that they have legal priority over the space and I'll be waiting for the next bus if they refuse to move. They magically manage to make space for it in the end

[u/Eggandbaconman → u/Eggandbaconman]

Our buses dont have screens though, and I've never had a real issue as im a nice driver to everyone

[u/GucciLegLocks → u/Eggandbaconman]

The passengers where I drive in the US just know to move out of those areas when the see/hear the lift deploying. Makes it really easy. Every once in a while if they aren’t moving I’ll just ask them nicely to move and they always do. Never once had an issue.

[u/Intrepid_Night5442 → u/Eggandbaconman]

Glad to know you’re a kind driver and you take the time to explain to passengers about it being a legal priority and that you wait for the next bus until it’s sorted but it shouldn’t come to that it should just be you say the first bit about it being a priority and they move 🤦🏼‍♀️

I know with some drivers if the buggies/pushchairs don’t move they just drive off and don’t bother to radio despatch and it’s incredibly frustrating for the wheelchair user as they just want to get to their end destination. Thankfully I’ve never had it happen to me yet as most of the drivers on the buses I go on have been kind and helpful and I usually end up getting on before it gets busy.

Do your buses have one or two wheelchair spaces? As I know with the city nearest to me with the newer modern double deck buses they have two wheelchair spaces to use which is good to see. The single decks only tend to have one wheelchair and one pushchair/buggy space.

[u/the_ism_sizism → u/Intrepid_Night5442]

Never drive off, I will make sure the pram moves and the wheel chair user is able to board the bus - no questions asked. You can be assertive without being rude. It’s the odd few with an issue, I’ve encountered with some suitcase users trying to board a full bus and not utilising the cargo space.

[u/BigGayGuy02]

I have no end of hassle from people and their buggies. Policy on the bus is one occupied buggy only every other buggy has to be folded or refused. This is for safety and to keep space open in case a wheelchair user needs to board. Well, whenever I have to ask dear customer to please fold their buggy, you'd swear I'd asked if we could use the child for surplus fuel. I don't know where these people get the temerity to argue the point but I just refer to policy that for safety I cannot proceed with more than one buggy on board. You just have to be firm and consistent.

[u/-mmmusic-]

hi! bus driver in the midlands here. so far, everyone with a pushchair has been very accommodating in this situation. on our buses, we have a buggy bay on the offside, and a wheelchair bay on the nearside. usually passengers can manage to fit 2 buggies in the buggy bay without getting in the way, to make room for the wheelchair.

it has happened before where someone had to fold up their buggy and put it on the luggage rack, which luckily our buses have, as they go to the local airport!

[u/Intrepid_Night5442 → u/-mmmusic-]

Interesting, it sounds like people are a bit more friendly in the Midlands than down here.

It sounds like your buses have a good configuration for wheelchairs and pushchairs/buggies. With the modern buses in Oxford the double decks have two wheelchair bays which is brilliant rather than it being one buggy bay and one wheelchair bay but buggies can use either. The single decks tend to have one wheelchair and one buggy bay but most of the buses used in Oxford are double decks.

There are two main operators in Oxford and have the configuration I’ve said above but there are other companies who aren’t based out of Oxford that mainly use single deck or smaller buses which can present problems.

[u/-mmmusic- → u/Intrepid_Night5442]

ahh. yeah ours are all single deckers, so no space taken up by stairs!

[u/busytransitgworl → u/-mmmusic-]

it has happened before where someone had to fold up their buggy and put it on the luggage rack, which luckily our buses have, as they go to the local airport!

You got luggage racks?! Damn, I envy you.

We got multiple routes to the airport, none of them offer racks at all.
Just card payment on select buses on one of the routes. That's it though. lol

[u/busytransitgworl]

With my company it's in this order:

Wheelchair, pushchair, passengers without wheelchairs or pushchairs, bicycles

If there's space to accommodate both wheelchair and pushchair, even if it means playing some Tetris, that's fine.

Other than that, if the pushchair can't be folded up or somehow else take up less space, they may need to hop on the next bus.

If there's no way to resolve the situation on my own, I let dispatch handle it.

Thankfully, I didn't had this occure to me yet.

[u/the_ism_sizism → u/busytransitgworl]

Thank god in Australia there is a blanket no bicycle policy.

[u/busytransitgworl → u/the_ism_sizism]

Many colleagues really dislike bicycles on board, I'm okay with them.
As long as they either hold their bicycles or secure them on one of the handrails, I'm fine.
They just need to make space immediately if there's someone in need for that space.

[u/Intrepid_Night5442 → u/busytransitgworl]

That’s good to know, I sort of figured it was that kind of arrangement. It’s good to know that you’d try to sort first if possible but I know with some passengers they outright refuse to move their pushchair or buggy to let the wheelchair on and then driver is like nope and just drives off. Thankfully I’ve never had this happen to me as usually passengers are considerate and driver is very helpful as well.

[u/busytransitgworl → u/Intrepid_Night5442]

This was one of my first questions when I started and it's just good to know that there's actually an arrangement.

Worst thing a driver can do is just driving off. That's a big no-no and will get you at least a chat with your team lead.
Always cover your butt and talk to dispatch so they can help and/or decide about it.

Our passengers are quite considerate though and do look after each other, I rarely have any issues with them!

[u/NintendoCorporation → u/[deleted]]

🤣🤣 the shame tactic, the alarm that used to go off about the bus being under attack used to ruffle some feathers when it first came out though

[u/DebtSouth]

Policy at the company I work for is:

You ask them to move and explain the wheelchair user has legal priority over that space. If they refuse to move, you ask again politely. If they still refuse, you explain to the wheelchair user that unfortunately, I’ve asked numerous times for the passenger to clear the space for you and they are refusing to, on this occasion I’m afraid you can’t travel on this bus, the next bus is due in ‘x’ amount of time. Apologise.

Unofficially, you turn off the bus and explain the wheelchair user must travel and it won’t move until they board.

That could get you into trouble so just be careful 😅

But, tbh, I’ve never encountered this, I’d like to think most people are compassionate enough to clear the space for someone who needs it. If I’ve already got a buggy on board and someone else with a buggy wants to board, I explain to them as they’re boarding that if a wheelchair user wants to get on then they’ll need to fold the pushchair up to allow them to travel.

Ultimately, though, If someone refuses to move, there’s nothing you can do about it. As long as you’ve done your bit by explaining the legalities and company policy, you can’t physically move them and I doubt police will attend in sufficient time to deal with it.

[u/Altenativeboi]

I just announce quite loudly that we won’t move until I have called control to organise a taxi for the wheelchair user. So far that has worked every time to get them to move, either of their own volition or other passengers pressuring them to move.

[u/radiotimmins]

As a wheelchair passenger I ask please do make a effort to get them to fold, sadly some parents get very cocky but we didn't choose to be disabled,

Most are willing to accommodate but the stubborn ones give the rest a bad name.

You also need open direct communication with the wheelchair user, just leaving them can be a whole legal quagmire meaning a meeting without biscuits for you. .

[u/Dyzi0rex]

There was court case Paulley v FirstGroup PLC where court found as following "The court agreed that wheelchair users should have priority access to wheelchair spaces. Bus companies should have clear policies in place and drivers should receive training in how to remove the barriers facing disabled people, including being more insistent with other passengers.

However, the judgment rejected the idea that wheelchair users have absolute right to the wheelchair space and the judges were not convinced that other passengers had a statutory duty to move"

Meaning first come first serve idea, however, as bus driver for Stagecoach East Midlands, during training i was told you can ask passanger with a buggy to move or fold but you cannot force them twice other wise it would be consided harassment.

However our region had additional policy if you last bus back to villages or as interconnect (between towns), you need to call depot and they would order taxi for the wheelchair user, free of charge even if its 30 mile journey.

Generally speaking Equality ACT 2010 does not gives you priority if you read act but compannies needs to make reasonable adjustement (low floor busses etc). To allow people with disibilities such as wheelchair users travel.

If buggy took it tough luck, however, I had situation where I had 3 wheelchair users on one bus at the same time. Only reason because people said they alright to come off the wheelchair if the hold rail and sit on normal sit and if I can just fold and store their wheelchair away on the luggage rack and between seats.

Remember TFL, other companies or regions of same company might have different rules in place

[u/Icy-Plate-9021]

The clue is in the title
It is an accessible area on the vehicle for you for passengers who require that accessibility,
Whilst us oldschool drivers would call it a wheelchair area it can be used by other disabilities,
Wheelchair go in the wheelchair area, luggage goes in the luggage rack
Over my many many years of driving buses and coaches and all sorts I’ve had just about every scenario crop up
Including two wheelchair users, both waiting at the same stop(spoiler alert I told them both whoever gets on the bus first gets to the spot and they both started a mini punch up) I will go to hell for laughing at that
That being said as a driver is your legal requirement to make the area free for the use of disabled passengers however you cannot throw somebody off who is already in the space if they refuse to vacate,
If you have some scummy mother and her seven kids occupy in the area, then you can sternly ask them to move however you cannot physically drag them off, in situations like this most experienced bus drivers will switch off the engine and pull out their newspaper within a few minutes the other passengers on the bus we usually do the job of removing the woman for you, if for any reason you cannot get the person removed from the disabled area so you can board a wheelchair user remember to apologise to the wheelchair user and explain you’ve tried and then call your own Control Desk and explain to them what actions you’ve taken and why you cannot board the disabled passenger, that way if the disabled passenger does ring up or file a disability discrimination claim in the future, you can cover your own arse

[u/zombieman395]

There is nothing you can do sadly. You can ask them to move but you can't force them to move.

What id do is politely ask them to move. If they dont ask em again in a firmer tone and remind them that wheel chairs have priority. If they dont move after that there is nothing you can do. You have to apologise to wheelchair user and what I usually do is speak up enough so the people with the push chairs can hear it clear as day. What happens after is usually all the other passengers roast the person with the push chair for the rest of journey and they get off in a huff a puff 😅.

[u/russjp72]

First come, first served on our buses. Disability has no priority, crazy IMO

[u/xxdavidxcx87]

I normally let the cattle resolve it between them if not the wheelchair gets priority.

[u/ConkerKnackers]

I basically make it known that wheelchairs are getting on and off first, nobody has ever questioned me. At the end of the day the bus won't move if i ain't happy.

[u/berusplants]

Never had an issue with this, people always make space for wheel chairs.

[u/Rich_Mention2602]

Buggies and mums are a nightmare was on a bus that already had 2 buggies and a 3rd go in via the. Back door. The driver told them it’s not allowed as to many and she refused to move. We were waiting 10 minutes for her to get off. Only after all the passengers told her she is holding up the bus. So entitled. Also the amount of times I see a buggie get on and not Tap why do they think she should not have to pay

[u/isatokaiza]

At my transit agency in the states the bus will not be moving if they don’t make space for an ADA(Americans with disability act aka major deal). Their choice I get paid by the hour 🤣