public-transport-busI recently saw that someone online was wondering if they can take a mobility scooter on a bus in the UK.

If the thought is to take one on the bus as a mobility scooter is usually seen, and not folded up, also to be able to ride the scooter straight onto the bus then i doubt that there would be many bus services that could accommodate this that are running as part of public transport services.

Although many newer buses on many routes in cities and towns throughout the UK can accommodate people much better now with wider entrances, more spacious areas at the front of buses, hydraulics to lower and raise the platforms for people to step onto and off of the bus easier and the ability to push a wheelchair easier on many buses, theres still a few problems in place that would make it difficult to ride a mobility scooter onto a bus.

Most mobility scooters are too wide to be able to maneuver onto and off of a bus without problems, the only way to take a mobility scooter onto a bus is with a folding one, and preferably one that folds without any or too many parts having to be removed first.

Also the problem of being able to position the mobility scooter quickly and without problems on the bus would be difficult, unlike a wheelchair that can be turned and moved in a way that wont cause any obstruction once securely position to one side near the front of a bus.

The power that a mobility scooter has could also make it difficult to steer on and off of a bus safely, and there’s also the fact that as many bus stops have shelters and some are more narrow than others, that even if the bus can accommodate a mobility scooter easily, that the task of trying to move through the bus stop may prove to be a challenge in itself.

While public transport lends itself much better now to people with mobility needs, there are still a few challenges faced that currently prevent some mobility aids from being used on some forms of public transport.