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London Bus Driver Stands Firm as Disabled Toddler in Wheelchair Looks On Helplessly

This is when someone showed their merciless side London A bus driver was filmed abandoning adisabled toddler who uses a wheelchair at the roadside after declining to deploy the ramp, according to the child's mother, who says this incident is not an isolated case but has occurred many times before.

A parent who wishes to remain unnamed began documenting the repeated incidents, with one clip captured at 10:45 AM on Wednesday showing them near the rear entry of the 197 bus in Croydon, South London.

She pushed the button to signal the driver to deploy the ramp since she was heading with her two-year-old son, Charles, to a soft play session in his specialized chair.

The male driver motions for her to move towards the front of the bus, saying it’s merely an old vehicle and urging her to push it forward—then he drives away.

A second clip recorded at approximately 12:15 during their return journey depicts a woman exiting the bus with the intention of lifting the chair back onto it.

When the mother responded with 'no,' she returned to the taxi. However, a supervisor instructed her to lower the ramp so that both the mother and her child could enter the bus, as she mentioned.

She started recording the occurrences because they take place up to 12 times weekly ever since Charles was discharged from the hospital about a year back, according to her statement.

Charles suffers from chronic lung disease and requires a ventilator for at least 16 hours daily. He receives nutrition through a tube inserted into his stomach, cannot talk, and is unable to walk.

Born on August 8, 2022, he arrived weighing only 2 lbs, one month after his twin sister passed away.

Charles uses a customized chair that his mother obtained through the NHS wheelchair services.

His mum mentioned that his ventilator, oxygen cylinder, suction machine, and feeding pump—all of which he requires for wherever he goes—are kept beneath the seat.

She mentioned that she avoids moving the chair onto buses because of concerns about the equipment getting bumped or damaged, as well as the risk of Charles’s feeding or waste tubes becoming disconnected.

The single mother, who left her jobs as a caregiver and administrator when Charles was born, stated: "This situation is terrible and incredibly embarrassing. When I reached the soft play area, I ended up crying."

'Charles is absolutely obsessed with buses, and after this happens, all I want to do is go home, but I can't because I have to continue for his sake.'

'I find it truly distressing to stand at the bus stop only to see the bus drive away.'

'It seems like they simply don’t bother; all it takes is hitting a button. A person who doesn’t require the ramp won’t be the one requesting it.'

Individuals should not be required to elucidate their disabilities or rationalize their requirements.

'It's discrimination simply because it doesn’t resemble a wheelchair, and that’s not fair.'

Some individuals possess unseen disabilities; drivers should not be entitled to request they disclose this information.

'It's challenging enough for us to venture outside; we don't have much time left before he needs to return to the ventilator.'

'Charles needs to battle through each day of his life. After I succeed in getting us out the door, I simply hope everything goes without a hitch; that’s not an unreasonable request.'

'I just want to hop onto the bus and enjoy some tranquility, without any disagreements.'

'By the time we finish discussing it, they might as well have lowered the ramp; it doesn’t make any sense.'

The mother uploaded the clips onto TikTok, garnering around half-a-million views. Other parents of kids with disabilities commented, sharing their own frequent similar encounters.

Rosie Trew, who leads bus service operations for Transport for London (TfL), stated: "Individuals using wheelchairs as well as those needing to utilize the ramp should rightfully anticipate having access to it during each trip."

'Any unjustified refusal to use the bus ramp is entirely unacceptable, and we deeply regret the discomfort this has caused.'

We are collaborating with the bus operator to thoroughly examine the incidents and keep encouraging individuals who face similar problems to report them without delay.

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