Wheelchair user space on public transport. Who has the right? Mum and baby already on board or person using a wheelchair?

I have 3 month old triplets and I am going to have to use public transport next week for a short journey (thankfully it’s only about 10 minutes). I will be taking my double pram and baby wearing one of them. I will not be able to hold all three of them safely and collapse my pram if a wheelchair user comes on board.

Will I have to get off the bus? Will they ask the wheelchair user to wait for the next bus?

For context, am happy to get off the bus if needs be. I just want some knowledge beforehand and any experiences that people have had with this.

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The wheelchair space is obviously designed to accommodate a wheelchair, and TfL guidance at least (don’t know about it being everywhere, but I’d assume so?) says wheelchair users have priority over buggies in that designated space. A wheelchair user also has specific protections under the Equality Act
Whilst I don’t think you’d be directly asked to get off the bus, if there isn’t a practical or suitable alternative (which with 3 little ones would be really difficult!!) then that may be the reality unfortunately, unless the wheelchair user offers to wait for the next one- again, I don’t think a driver can necessarily tell them to wait if the designated spot isn’t being used by a wheelchair already..

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If you can’t hold them you’d have to get off as they are legally wheelchair spaces. Depending on the bus though, most of the ones in my area have space for 2 “wheelchairs” which actually fit 4 single prams when not needed by a wheelchair (in the 9 months I’ve lived here I’ve seen it used by a wheelchair user once)

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Wheelchair user has priority I believe as I've been chucked off a bus before when one got on.

There is a designated space (on stagecoach buses) for wheelchair users and a side for prams. But I'm not sure what happens when the wheelchair side is full.

Also you'll need to hope the pram space isn't full too ❤️

I've had to wait for a next bus before because the driver wouldn't ask old people sat in the pram space to move to other seats 🥲

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Wheelchair!

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Our buses have space on one side designated for buggies and wheel chair the other side... not sure about where you are but I always use the buggy space when it's free 😊

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Legally the wheelchair user. Ironically I’ve seen a lot of TikTok videos on this recently. Weather they will kick you off is a different matter. Hopefully you live in an area with regular public transport.

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