Access on transport

Heard about the Supreme Court judgement on access to wheelchairs on transport. Saw an interview with chap that brought the case and he seemed very pleased but am I being thick here?, there doesn’t seem to be much change. Way I see it the driver still can’t force the buggy user to move if they don’t want to. So has there been any progress here? It’s taken 5 years but will anything improve?

Mags xx

I agree that it doesn’t change the situation much but it does change it. A driver can no longer just shrug his shoulders and say " well she said she won’t do it so sorry …" He can’t physically manhandle the buggy user off the bus but he must make some real effort to make her move such as speaking to her properly or even stopping the bus and refusing to move if she doesn’t. I’ve been on buses in London where drivers have acted like this with other types of antisocial behaviour like drinking or eating smelly food and it did work.

Hopefully ‘pressure’ from other passengers would encourage someone to move a child’s buggy if the driver refused to drive the bus until the buggy was moved.

I see what you’re saying, Mags, and I tend to agree with you and to Mr Paulley’s solicitor, I think the judgement could have gone further, but I do think it as a first step has at least shed a some light.

Article can be found here > 'Wheelchair v buggy': Disabled man wins Supreme Court case - BBC News

I think I’m right that Mr Paulley won his initial case but the bus company appealed and the decision was rescinded. In this latest cae Mr Paulley appealed and he won.

It is a move in the right direction and it may have implications for wheelchair users in other situations in as much as any designated area has to be accessible.