Boy aged 6, in a wheelchair told not to get on bus ‘in case someone else needs a space’

A young boy aged 6 who suffers from cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was told by a bus driver he wasn’t allowed onboard because there might be another wheelchair user waiting around the corner. 

Rebecca Allison who is the young boys mother, was trying to get to her family home last month when the incident happened. According to Rebecca there were no other wheelchair users or pushchairs on the bus at the time, however was made to wait in the cold, she described the drivers actions as ‘disgusting’ 

Rebecca had been visiting Grimsby Minster, Lincolnshire at the time with her sister and her four children. After the visit the made their way to the Grimsby Bus Station to catch the next bus home, which is the number 4 back to Nunsthorpe. The bus was due around 4.30pm and Rebecca said:’ We just wanted to get the children home. Jacob is scared of the dark and although it wasn’t night time, he thought it was because it was already dark.’ 

When the bus arrived, Rebecca said the driver told her the should get the number 3 bus (they were trying to get on the number 4) instead because ‘another wheelchair user could have been waiting for his bus around the corner.’ 

‘There were no other pushchairs or wheelchairs on the bus. It had really upset me and Jacob, that he has been discriminated against in this way. I could tell he was upset by this because he was really quiet. This was disgusting behaviour by the bus driver.’ 

The family had to wait in the dark at Grimsby Bus Station for another nine minutes until the number 3 bus arrived. 

Stagecoach has since confirmed passengers can get on whatever bus they choose, whether a driver suggests an alternative or not. Stagecoach has also said it had reviewed CCTV footage and apologised for the ‘appalling’ situation, adding the driver would be dealt with.