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Tammy Clare and her son Ethan were told to wait for another bus after pram users refused to move from the disability seating section.

Even though TransLink protocol states Ethan should have priority of the wheelchair space, the driver still forced the pair to wait for the next bus from Garden City to Lady Cliento Hospital.

Tammy Clare, 35, wants all TransLink services to review their disabled seating policies after the incident, reports The Courier Mail.

“I was angry and frustrated because I think the bus driver should have done more,” Ms Clare said.

“They are only strollers, there wasn’t any baby in the pram and they could have easily folded it up and gone to a regular seat.”

Ethan suffers from Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and he is unable to walk, talk, see, or sit up straight; he requires numerous operations and is fed via a tube to his stomach.

Ms Clare said she feels world is against her after the family’s own disabled access mini-van broke down, beyond repair.

“If it’s not one thing or another, the poor thing he has gone through so much in his life,” she said.

“It is much, much harder now (without our own vehicle), we have to walk and catch three different buses just to get to the hospital appointments.”

The TransLink policy states wheelchair bound passengers have priority of the area, it was up to the driver to ask passengers to move.

“Using discretion, the driver can request a person with a pram or stroller occupying a designated wheelchair space to store it in the luggage area, to allow a person in a wheelchair to travel,” a TransLink spokesman said.

Share your comments below.

Image via Courier Mail

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  • My husband was a driver in Perth Metro and was told he was not to help passengers at all. But to make sure to move people on so the the priority seating was used by those it was meant for. He did at times break the rules and help people as he knows the struggle being a father himself. With all the go fund me pages going on hope someone is able to help this family.

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  • It is not only drivers but passengers mistake too. What is happening to the world. People are becoming selfish. I witnessed similar incident while visiting Sydney. A young family occupying the whole pram area with pram only carrying shopping bags. They refused to provide seat to a lady carrying his son sleeping on the shoulder. She had to stand with the boy sleeping on the shoulder. She didn’t even requested the space for pram as pram was folded but only seat. Another old lady sitting on the adjacent seat got up and asked the lady to sit down and that was really a big slap on whole family’s face. We all need to be little more considerate and think about others

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  • It sounds like both driver and pram users behaved badly.

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  • This is so unfair for Tammy and Ethan, any person in a wheelchair should have priority. As Tammy mentioned the strollers were empty. Sometimes we need to put ourselves in the place of other people and show some respect and compassion.

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  • wrong wrong wrong! Why would they do this to this beautiful soul.

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  • This is so disappointing. The mum deserves a massive aoology

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  • The bus driver clearly didn’t do his job properly.

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  • I think the driver took the wrong decision. So upsetting for that boy and the mother!

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  • What a horrible experience! Poor little man being treated like that, society is so selfish and rude, it is hard to find a genuine stranger willing to offer you their seat let alone their time.

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  • How horrible! It would make you feel as undervalued. I can’t believe the stroller users didn’t think for themselves and move to another seat off their own backs, they shouldn’t need to be told. After hitting the headlines, maybe a good Samaritan will come forward and offer to fix their vehicle

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  • The bus driver should have known better and clearly needs to be educated in these scenarios.

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  • The bus driver should have moved the stroller and let the boy on.


    • I agree with you. I know it can be difficult trying to fold a stroller with a baby in your arms. I only tried once. The bus driver could have obliged by doing it, and even opened it again when the Mum was ready to get off the bus.

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  • This is shocking. The stroller should have been moved and the sieve cleared. The bus driver and the other pram user really let down this mother and son.

    Reply

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