LETTER: Be clear over bus wheelchair spaces

Readers will may well be aware that my wheelchair-user son, Doug, won a Supreme Court ruling that bus drivers should do more to ensure pushchairs are moved from the wheelchair space when the space is needed by a wheelchair user.

By The Newsroom

Published 21st Apr 2017, 15:05 BST

Updated 9th May 2017, 18:23 BST

However, the judgement says bus drivers must do more to persuade parents to move pushchairs, but it does not say the wheelchair users have absolute priority, always assuming the bus is not already full.

This means wheelchair users are less certain they’ll be able to get on a bus than able-bodied people, and it puts unfair pressure on drivers.

I have started a Parliamentary petition with the aim of persuading the Government to insert a clause in the current Buses Bill which would make it clear wheelchair users must be able to use the space, provided the bus isn’t already full.

Please support this petition so wheelchair users can be as certain of being able to get on a bus as you or I are.

It is at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/184109 – and please tell your family and friends about it.

Stuart Paulley

By email