Buggy bus deal isn’t fare say angry mums

Jun 17 2009 by Jeff Holmes, Paisley Daily Express

A COACH firm has bowed to parent pressure and reinstated a buggy bus service ... but mums are still furious.

Arriva Scotland West withdrew their low-floor, easy-access buses from the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley, which led to protests from angry parents.

But after the Express took up the fight, the bus company agreed the service should make a return.

However, mums reckon Arriva still haven’t gone far enough, and insist they have only put on ONE specialised buggy bus.

Heather Wallace, 27, a mum-of-three from Ferguslie, said: “I don’t know what the problem is. Surely it doesn’t cost any more to put on a buggy bus than a regular one.

“Putting a token buggy bus on just doesn’t help anyone.

“I was up at the town centre a couple of days ago and flagged down a bus.

“The driver saw I had a pram and told me a buggy bus was coming behind him.

“I waited, and waited, and waited. It was 45 minutes before it arrived, and the condition of the bus left a lot to be desired.

“Before the service was withdrawn, you would wait no more than 10 minutes. It was a brilliant service but that’s certainly not the case now.

“The buggy bus ratio is now one in every four or five buses, and if there are a few mums on with buggies then there’s little room.”

Heather added: “We were told before that the service had been withdrawn because of competition.

“How can that be when the ‘competition’ don’t have buggy buses? I just don’t understand the argument behind Arriva’s decision.”

And Gillian Burke, who has two young children, added: “It’s not good enough. They are just trying to fob us off with this one bus.”

Arriva claim they initially withdrew the pram-friendly vehicles from the area due to increased competition from smaller companies operating.

Instead it introduced buses with steps, which parents claim make boarding the vehicles with prams and young children almost impossible.

Murray Rogers, commercial manager at Arriva, said: “Low-cost bus operations have a major effect on our ability to invest and improve the quality of bus travel in Paisley and Renfrewshire.

“Arriva are committed to delivering a better service by offering safe, professional, quality transport but need the backing of our valued customers to assist us.

“The re-introduction of low-floor, easy access into Ferguslie will be on a use it or lose it basis and I would urge customers to consider this when making their travel choice.”