South Yorkshire Bus Service Needs Improvement

[RollingJ 2,035]

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 10]

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 1,190]

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 3,399]

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

[Resident 1,190]

29 minutes ago, HeHasRisen said:

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

 

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

I suspect that the MD 'jumped the shark' with the apology in order to apease the press.

Personal view, they look too wide to fit down the aisle of a bus. Wheelchairs and Class1 mobilty scooters are barely wider than the person using them, usually, whereas the Alinker is very wide, presumably to keep the user stable given the higher centre of gravity. 

I have tried to search for the dimensions online but all you can find is the in-seam measurement to decide which model is for you. 

One review I came across from a user in Amsterdam stated that 'they are not a compact aid & I struggled in small spaces & some settings would not be possible without fully dismantling it' 

[hackey lad 3,971]

1 hour ago, Resident said:

I suspect that the MD 'jumped the shark' with the apology in order to apease the press.

Personal view, they look too wide to fit down the aisle of a bus. Wheelchairs and Class1 mobilty scooters are barely wider than the person using them, usually, whereas the Alinker is very wide, presumably to keep the user stable given the higher centre of gravity. 

I have tried to search for the dimensions online but all you can find is the in-seam measurement to decide which model is for you. 

One review I came across from a user in Amsterdam stated that 'they are not a compact aid & I struggled in small spaces & some settings would not be possible without fully dismantling it' 

When I saw the woman’s name ,I seemed to remember it from the news before . I think she is a serial complainer. Puts herself in a position which gets her on the news 

Edited March 6, 2022 by hackey lad

[RollingJ 2,035]

Yup - just Googled. She styles herself as a 'Health Activist' - aka serial moaner.

[spilldig 188]

23 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.

Many thanks for the information bus busdriver 1. That clears that up. 

[AlexAtkin 10]

That doesn't look any wider than my mums wheelchair to me, although I can see how it might still be a problem as the buses aren't designed for it to be wide so high up.  Also rather irrelevant if she lied about what the driver actually said.  They do have to consider the safety of all the other passengers after all.

Its rather uncommon in my experience for drivers to be awkward, in fact there are many times they let huge prams on the bus that are detrimental to everyone and really should be folded.

Edited March 6, 2022 by AlexAtkin

[Resident 1,190]

22 minutes ago, AlexAtkin said:

That doesn't look any wider than my mums wheelchair to me, although I can see how it might still be a problem as the buses aren't designed for it to be wide so high up.  Also rather irrelevant if she lied about what the driver actually said.  They do have to consider the safety of all the other passengers after all.

Its rather uncommon in my experience for drivers to be awkward, in fact there are many times they let huge prams on the bus that are detrimental to everyone and really should be folded.

It is relevant if she lied about what the driver said. It's slander for one & could have easily led to the driver being dismissed from his job. 

She lied to whip up a public furore so she got her name in the news, this time it was picked up by national news. That caused damage to the company's reputation.

If I were the driver or First I would be speaking with legal council regarding taking action against her. 

[AlexAtkin 10]

8 hours ago, Resident said:

It is relevant if she lied about what the driver said. It's slander for one & could have easily led to the driver being dismissed from his job. 

She lied to whip up a public furore so she got her name in the news, this time it was picked up by national news. That caused damage to the company's reputation.

If I were the driver or First I would be speaking with legal council regarding taking action against her. 

What I meant was me thinking it would fit is irrelevant seeing as we don't know the REAL reason she was refused, due to the fact she lied.  The driver has every right to refuse if he thinks it poses a risk to other passengers, period.

 

I just wish they did more often with prams as people seem to feel entitled to keep them folded out these days, while buying ones that are too big to fit on a bus (as they're designed for car use) in the first place.  They take up more space than a wheelchair.

Edited March 7, 2022 by AlexAtkin

[Annie Bynnol 612]

These Canadian made Alinker walking aids do fold in the middle and come in different sizes.

With more time and effort they can be taken apart and put in the boot of a small car.

They are a newish invention.

They cost upwards of £1200 and do not qualify for NHS support.

They have limited use but will offer some user huge help eg some with Cerebral Palsy.

In Canada they qualify as bikes (no brakes?)to be used on roads and as walking aids to be used slowly on roads.

 

Before they are used on roads, footways, public transport etc., they should be assessed for safety and suitability.

It is not fair on the driver to have been  put in this situation but it is now important that the disabled community, road safety, transport operators etc. get together to evaluate their potential and inform.

 

Of course if it was folded, bagged and rolled onto the bus it would not be a problem except for space and priority issues.