Wheelchair vs Pram

[Cudzoziemiec]

That's much better. How does it work? I can't imagine a London bus driver (or pretty much anywhere else in Britain really) getting out of his cab to wheel people on and off the bus, so I presume you press this button - I'll have to check if they this on Bristol buses too! - and then it's all automatic?

[hellymedic]

I do not travel alone. We tell driver where we are leaving when we enter the bus. The ramps are operable from the driver's cab. There's a blue ramp and stop request button by the wheelchair bay, which makes a different sound.

Bus stops, ramps go out, we leave bus, ramps go back, goodbye!

[SteveC]

The buses at the park and ride for Bath (just about the only time I use a bus these days) have a system where the whole front of the bus lowers to make it easier for people with mobility issues to get on and off. Never seen a wheelchair user on that service (probably not much need as it would be easier to park with a blue badge in the centre) but it does seem to help others including pushchairs.

[Butterfly]

A lot of current pushchairs/prams don't exactly fold - the chair/pram bit unclips and the wheels fold down. It  takes little less space than assembled and with the addition of child+ luggage/shopping is totally unmanageable. Some others fold down, but not usably small, especially if they have 3 x 12 1/2" wheels. They need to get off for wheelchairs, but drivers need to be quick to give the vouchers so that you don't have to pay for a second time, which they are bad at. Poor frequency of buses can be a problem- you are more willing to get off a bus if the next one is going to be 5 minutes than if you are going to have to entertain a toddler or 3 in the rain for 40 minutes. Also if you are near the beginning of a route so there is less chance of the next bus having 2 pushchairs already and not letting you on. This is all x2 if you have a double pushchair.

The bendy buses were really good for pushchairs. The tram is brill too.

[arabella]

I'm wondering if the advent of unfoldable pushchairs hasn't followed the advent of more pushchair space on busses.  When taller guy was under 3 it was always a case of folding the buggy.  By the time younger guy came along we were starting to get more space and didn't necessarily need to fold it (which was handy when I had them both). 
In general the umbrella style easy to fold buggies seem to have all but vanished (little bro, 3 years later again, had a space age job.  an a car)

[Cudzoziemiec]

A quick google shows plenty of buggies which still seem to be foldable, eg this one.

[Redlight]

Surely, with a couple of well-placed bungee cords, it can't be too difficult to hook the buggy on the back of the bus and tow it along?  More fun for the kids too, I imagine.

[Butterfly]

A quick google shows plenty of buggies which still seem to be foldable, eg this one.

There are lots that fold, but they are often the buggy type that are less suitable for longer distances and more luggage. Cheap ones like that are pretty nasty to push any distance and the double version is horrendous. They are designed for car users to walk from the car park.

[hellymedic]

The MacLaren babby buggy was originally designed to push a baby through an airport.
Airport floors are very smooth. Small wheels would not be a problem.
Streets are mostly quite rough and larger wheels are an advantage. This does not make them easier on buses...

[Kim]

Sounds like those clever folks at Brompton ought to have a go at pushchair design...

[Cudzoziemiec]

The MacLaren babby buggy was originally designed to push a baby through an airport.
Airport floors are very smooth. Small wheels would not be a problem.
Streets are mostly quite rough and larger wheels are an advantage. This does not make them easier on buses...

Designed by the same man as the undercarriage of the Spitfire!

The former test pilot and designer of the Supermarine Spitfire undercarriage was inspired when his daughter visited from the United States with his first grandchild. After watching the parents struggle with the clumsy conventional pushchair, he used his knowledge of lightweight, collapsible structures to create a new generation of infant transport and inspire the design of future collapsible objects such as the Strida bicycle.

So not quite Brompton. But isn't Finlay a good name for Spitfire designer?