Mothers step up pram ban battle

Published on Monday 6 October 2008 09:55

MUMS are planning a leafleting and poster campaign as they step up their fight for better access for prams and buggies on Lothian Buses.

Campaigner Gillian Richards, a mother of twins from Willowbrae, has designed a poster highlighting the confusion about which ones are allowed on buses.

She says drivers are equally confused about which items to allow on, and is pushing the company to adopt a "common sense" approach. They are also considering holding a demonstration, as well as handing a petition to the Scottish Parliament.

The campaigners have already won support from the city council and the Equality and Human Rights Commission for Scotland, as well as disability groups.

They have all called for pram users to be allowed to use the disabled space as long as it is not required for a wheelchair, and say there is no legal basis for the ban.

But Lothian Buses has insisted that its policy is in line with the Disability Discrimination Act. It said drivers can only allow buggies on that can be easily folded if required.

Mrs Richards, 36, a graphic designer, has designed the poster, which is based on Lothian Buses' information given to drivers.

She said: "When I saw the poster produced by Lothian Buses, I thought I just had to highlight the confusion this is causing. There are such an array of prams and travel systems that this makes it very difficult for the drivers. Their managers have put them in a position where they have to try to tell which buggy's which.

"The ones they recommend have no head support, and so are only suitable for babies over six months.

"I know in the past women weren't able to take prams on buses, but things are different now. There is an expectation that everyone can use public transport. Most mums go out to work now, and so they may need to use the bus to take their child to nursery."

Article 12 in Scotland, the organisation that promotes children's and young people's rights, has offered to donate 200 to the campaign to help print posters and flyers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission for Scotland has already called for a "more flexible approach" and said allowing access for wheelchairs should not mean banning prams.

The city council has also called for an end to the "fiasco" and is set to meet Lothian Buses to discuss their policy.

Campaigner Catriona Black has launched a petition to the Scottish Parliament, which now has more than 1200 signatures.

She said: "We've had so many authorities making it clear that this ban is unnecessary and unreasonable.

"It's incredible that they have just ignored the pressure up to now. We're certainly not giving up."