Disabled Morecambe mum left in tears after bus driver refuses to let her use ramp

Rebecca Reeder was on her first trip out to Lancaster in her new electric wheelchair and was in the queue for the 1A bus back home when the incident happened last week.

Rebecca claims that when the driver saw that she would need a ramp to get onto the bus, the driver complained that the bus was already running late.

“I said it’s not my fault I’m in a wheelchair but the driver just said, it’s not my fault either.”

“The driver’s attitude was unbelievable. I’ve come across the odd eye roll when people see me in a wheelchair but I’ve never known anything like this. I had my 15-year-old son with me and I was so embarrassed, I cried.”

Rebecca admits swearing at the driver and asking for their name but said the driver shut the doors and didn’t let anyone else on.

Rebecca then went to the manager’s office but by the time they’d got back to the bus stop, the bus had gone.

“I’ve no issue with Stagecoach as the manager and other staff were amazing but the driver was out of order.”

Rebecca, 49, reported the incident to the police as a hate crime but feels her complaint wasn’t taken seriously.

The former care home supervisor has been unable to work since she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder four years ago. This affects her mobility and can also cause seizures and blindness.

She had a new ramp fitted to her house so she could be more independent in her new electric wheelchair but covered it up after the incident and felt like returning it.

“I’m an independent, outgoing person but this has knocked me back.”

She added: “People’s attitude towards me being in a wheelchair is either patronising or they treat me like dirt.”

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire managing director, Tom Waterhouse, said: “I’m really sorry to learn of the incident which involved one of our colleagues at Lancaster Bus Station.

“This does not reflect the level of customer service we expect from all our drivers. We are currently dealing with this matter in line with our internal procedures to help ensure an incident like this is avoided in the future.

“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Rebecca for the upset that this incident caused her.”