South Yorkshire Bus Service Needs Improvement

[spilldig]

15 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

I'm not certain, but as I understand it ,  disabled people do have priority use of the 'disabled' bay, and drivers do have the right to request that pushchairs make reasonable provision for that to happen. As an aside, and it is something I have yet to understand, why are today's 'pushchairs' almost as big as a disabled scooter?

As you say about buggies. Back in our days of parenting all the buggies were of the Mc Clarron type which could be folded nearly as neatly as an umberella.  Some of the ones now are almost like Reliant Robins with handles on. 

[Guest busdriver1]

3 hours ago, RollingJ said:

I'm not certain, but as I understand it ,  disabled people do have priority use of the 'disabled' bay, and drivers do have the right to request that pushchairs make reasonable provision for that to happen. As an aside, and it is something I have yet to understand, why are today's 'pushchairs' almost as big as a disabled scooter?

The driver can only request and if the passenger refuses to fold or remove the buggy there is nothing that can be done unless the wheelchair user wants the police to attend. It MUST come from the wheelchair user as it is a civil matter and the company can not ask for police attendance for this matter. * Wheelchair in this instance covers all mobility aids.

[ECCOnoob]

2 hours ago, busdriver1 said:

The driver can only request and if the passenger refuses to fold or remove the buggy there is nothing that can be done unless the wheelchair user wants the police to attend. It MUST come from the wheelchair user as it is a civil matter and the company can not ask for police attendance for this matter. * Wheelchair in this instance covers all mobility aids.

Interesting point. Although I'd like to think that most parents when asked by the driver would comply. You would have to be one hell of a self-entitled tool to refuse to move your ridiculous sized offspring carrier and delay and disrupt a person with genuine disability needs.

[RollingJ]

3 hours ago, busdriver1 said:

The driver can only request and if the passenger refuses to fold or remove the buggy there is nothing that can be done unless the wheelchair user wants the police to attend. It MUST come from the wheelchair user as it is a civil matter and the company can not ask for police attendance for this matter. * Wheelchair in this instance covers all mobility aids.

Thought that was the case, but decided it would be better coming from one in the know. 😀👍

14 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

Interesting point. Although I'd like to think that most parents when asked by the driver would comply. You would have to be one hell of a self-entitled tool to refuse to move your ridiculous sized offspring carrier and delay and disrupt a person with genuine disability needs.

Totally agree, but there are some out there...

[Guest busdriver1]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Interesting point. Although I'd like to think that most parents when asked by the driver would comply. You would have to be one hell of a self-entitled tool to refuse to move your ridiculous sized offspring carrier and delay and disrupt a person with genuine disability needs.

Sadly you would ( or would not) be surprised, there are some "different" people about.

[Resident]

10 hours ago, spilldig said:

Agreed, but one thing I did think unfair was when disabled people were given permission to push in front of people in the bus queue including babies in buggies, because I always understood that disabled people, quite rightly, want to be treated equally to everyone else, but there's  nothing equal about wanting to push in front of someone else.

I understand priority boarding of a wheelchair user. Far easier to load a wheelchair onto an empty bus than a full one. Plus you always get some old Doris who sits on one of the seats that needs to be folded up for the wheelchair to fit and refuses to move and/or has a ridiculous shopping trolley. 

As @busdriver1 said the spaces are priority for chair users but if someone is there and refuses to move then there's little the driver can do other than employ peer pressure tactics. 

Recently whilst on a bus, the situation of Doris refusing to move, despite an available seat opposite her, arose. The driver simply turned of the bus and declared to the passengers that he wasn't moving til she did.  Several of the passengers then moaned at Doris and she finally moved and then so did the bus. 

Sadly and I'm aware that a few will disagree however it seems entitled behaviour has hit the older generation on public transport & they seem to hold a belief that their bus pass means they have priority over everyone else. 

[RollingJ]

4 minutes ago, Resident said:

I understand priority boarding of a wheelchair user. Far easier to load a wheelchair onto an empty bus than a full one. Plus you always get some old Doris who sits on one of the seats that needs to be folded up for the wheelchair to fit and refuses to move and/or has a ridiculous shopping trolley. 

As @busdriver1 said the spaces are priority for chair users but if someone is there and refuses to move then there's little the driver can do other than employ peer pressure tactics. 

Recently whilst on a bus, the situation of Doris refusing to move, despite an available seat opposite her, arose. The driver simply turned of the bus and declared to the passengers that he wasn't moving til she did.  Several of the passengers then moaned at Doris and she finally moved and then so did the bus. 

Sadly and I'm aware that a few will disagree however it seems entitled behaviour has hit the older generation on public transport & they seem to hold a belief that their bus pass means they have priority over everyone else. 

I understand  everything you have said above - and that driver showed understanding for the disabled passenger.  I am now one of those with an ENCTS pass, but would never act like that, in fact before I got it I often 'suggested' people moved for those less able.

 

I take offence at your last comment - there are still some of with common sense and courtesy 😀😉

[AlexAtkin]

On 04/03/2022 at 15:05, Andy C said:

the council need to do their bit. It has already proved that this could be politically difficult with the uproar at the proposal of making the bus lanes on Abbeydale Road and Ecclesall Road apply all day rather than being used as a makeshift free car park. If you want buses to be reliable and faster this needs to happen.  Again when I talk about bigger picture though, over the years this has become an issue due to city planning policies - really off street parking should have been provided so the bus lanes don't need to be used a car park for the businesses along the way, this could have been included in the redevelopments over the years for example where pubs and social clubs have been knocked down to make way for blocks of flats.

Same problem for cycling, especially as cyclists can usually use bus lanes.

They put in cycle lanes, then have them double-up as parking so they can't be used.  A serious lack of joined-up thinking.

 

On 04/03/2022 at 17:04, BigAl1 said:

Andy good post. Interested you mentioned 52/52A because I can not help but feel that the service could be improved if they were run by the same company especially in the current situation so that cancellations can be better managed and a more coordinated response to daily disruptions. I am assuming competent management who are wishing to provide the customer with the best possible service within the constraints they operate.

 

As for your MP friend the idea of having a spokesperson/ minister who is knowledgeable about their remit is I am afraid wishful thinking more interested in sound bites and photo ops

They are shared so both companies get their fair share of the revenue though.  Making it a single operator would be anti-competitive.  This is where bringing it under public control might be more efficient (in theory) but I'm extremely sceptical it would be any better as the government would probably demand they get the profit, rather than it be pumped back into running the less profitable routes.

This is where it just can't work on a local basis, when you have the council and government at odds with each other.  Its why I do feel it probably makes more sense to work within the current system than try to change it again.  It does no good to keep ping-ponging between different methods without ever addressing the underlying problems.

Edited March 5, 2022 by AlexAtkin

[Resident]

On 04/03/2022 at 17:48, HeHasRisen said:

Just lobbing this in. Would any of our current or ex bus drivers want to have a go at explaining the insanity that went through the bus drivers head?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-60618262?at_custom4=336E7D76-9BCC-11EC-BC53-64D196E8478F&at_medium=custom7&at_campaign=64&at_custom2=facebook_page&at_custom3=Regional+BBC+Yorkshire+&at_custom1=link

I have an update to this story and it turns it on it's head. The source is verified but I am not at liberty to disclose it, you'll have to take it on faith:

First have investigated this incident and the following was found:

1. Allegations of abuse by the driver were found to be false as more than one other passenger came forward & supported the driver's version after the article was published

2. Due the specialist nature of the aid & it's size the owner was previously offered a risk assessment. Concerns about the width of the device could be an issue. That offer for the assessment was declined.

 

If the assessment had gone ahead and it was found to be safe for it to be boarded the owner would have been issued with a permit (the same one that Class1 mobilty scooters are issued)

[HeHasRisen]

Interesting. So basically someone with a chip on her shoulder then.

 

Given all the above, they have still applogised to her anyway.

Edited March 6, 2022 by HeHasRisen