Anger as judges put wheelchairs on buses on a par with baby buggies and say disabled passengers have no legal priority

• Operator First Group had been ordered to pay damages to wheelchair user
• Doug Paulley was denied access to a bus in Wetherby, Yorkshire, in February 2012 after a woman with a sleeping baby refused to move
• Leeds County Court ruled First Group was in breach of its duty under the Equality Act 2010, and ordered company to pay Mr Paulley £5,500 damages
• But the Court of Appeal has ruled that 'proper remedy' for wheelchair users to get improvements in such cases is to ask Parliament

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The article was based on a case in Leeds. The article contains an image of a RED LONDON BUS ....it is actually Abellio London 9516, Vehicle Reg index SN59 AWG.

BE AWARE that TFL have their own Conditions of Carriage:

14.3.3 Priority. Wheelchair and mobility scooter users have priority over everyone else for the use of the wheelchair space, since this is the only space in which they can travel safely. If someone in a wheelchair wishes to board, and the wheelchair space is occupied by standing passengers or buggies, standing passengers will be asked by the driver to make room if possible, and buggy users will be asked to fold them and put them in the luggage space or keep
them by their side. The driver will tell you what to do.

14.3.4 Right to refuse travel. We reserve the right to refuse travel at any time........

You will only be refused entry when it is absolutely necessary, but no-one already travelling will be asked to get off the bus

Please lobby MPS, Assembly Members and TFL to support clarification, by means of a further appeal. Please copy any correspondence to the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport, mailto:transcom@parliament.uk

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This topic is also covered by campaign group Transport for ALL

The TFL Guidance to driver/operators in The Big red Book 

is that:

What do I do if there are people or buggies in the wheelchair area and a wheelchair user wants to board?“

“Wheelchair users are to be given access to the wheelchair space even if it is occupied by other passengers or buggies. Use the iBus automated announcement to make it clear that the wheelchair space is needed. If necessary, politely but firmly ask the buggy owners to move or fold their buggies to let the wheelchair user into the area as this is the only safe place for them to travel. Explain you will give them the time they need to do this and be patient and polite. Do not move off until they are re-positioned.