Brookvale mum to fold pram or she can't get on bus

1:10pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Barbara Jordan

Ben Hayes with his twin sons, two-year-olds Finn and Jude Ben Hayes with his twin sons, two-year-olds Finn and Jude

NEW gas buses have left parents fuming after drivers refused to let twin buggies be wheeled on board.

Runcorn mum Emma Hayes, aged 32, from Brookvale, was told she couldn’t travel on the eco-friendly bus, unless she folded down her pram.

Her incensed husband, Ben, aged 31, of Camborne Close, said: “We’re absolutely fuming.

“I work full-time so my wife is on her own with our twin boys.

“There is no way she can hold two babies and her shopping and collapse a pram.

“Arriva told us to pass the children to other passengers. We’re not comfortable handing our sons to strangers.”

Emma now faces a long wait as the only bus she can travel on, the 110, often already has buggies on board, so she has to wait for the next one.

An Arriva Spokesperson said: "We are mindful of the requirements of our customers, and appreciate that many people rely on bus travel.

“The recent introduction of gas buses in Runcorn provides a real step forward in terms of environmentally friendly travel and are a substantial investment in the area, but unfortunately the bus design does not accommodate double buggies.

"We apologise to the customers that this affects, and advise that the journey can be made if the buggy is folded before boarding. “We will advise our drivers to help with boarding if it is possible for them to do so."

 

Comments(2)

Larkin 1907 says...
4:45pm Thu 14 Mar 13

An Arriva Spokesperson said: "We are mindful of the requirements of our customers, and appreciate that many people rely on bus travel."

Of course they are. That's why the service between Runcorn and Liverpool is so brilliant! The same for any local service of a weekend or evening. There are so many busses around the town at these times, it's a wonder anyone has to wait more than a minute or two for a bus.

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sessa says...
9:44pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Being employed outside of Halton I rely heavily on Arriva Public Transport to travel across the North West daily, I agree we do have some instances of excellent bus routes to Liverpool, Chester, Warrington etc and ‘some’ drivers are friendly and welcoming. Although it’s certainly far from perfect. I have lost count of the instances when I have been left waiting for over an hour for a bus they simply must have ‘missed out’. I have witnessed some drivers being hostile to passengers and not to mention the ever increasing bus fares. I do agree with the environmental implications and it is a positive step introducing environmentally friendly buses, but feel Halton passengers are footing the bill with the recent fare increases. I'm equally shocked by this article. Parents can often be isolated particularly if they do not drive, not to mention how challenging it can be day to day, being left stranded at bus stops with young children is both shocking and unnecessary. Bus services should be accessible to all; parents are being deliberately excluded from a public service. What happened to equality?

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