Bus drivers and parents are embroiled in a tete a tete over the number of strollers on public buses. After a bus driver recently complained about a mom's stroller, another rider requested that a policy should be put in place by the Toronto Transport Commission (TTC) limiting the number of strollers on board at any given time.
A passenger Elsa La Rosa complained that strollers "block the aisles and displace other riders on transit." But parents are up in arms because clearly they have a right to travel just like any other citizen. So what should be done to solve the stroller problem?
According to an article in the Star, LaRosa suggested a limit of two strollers should be imposed by each bus during rush hour, and no more than three off-peak. But what about the parent who needs to get somewhere and hasn't got another means of transport? Do they just cross their fingers and hope the limit hasn't been met, or do they wait for the next bus which, depending on the timetable, can mean waiting the best part of an hour.
“Speaking with my bus operators, they do have problems, particularly if you get a collection of very large strollers onto the bus—it does cause quite an obstruction,” said TTC CEO Andy Byford.
Is it discriminatory to tell parents when they can and can't travel? Admittedly no one wants to travel on public transport during rush hour, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Life isn't always convenient or flexible.
Recently I had to take my son to medical appointment downtown, and had to endure the subway at peak hour. It wasn't pleasant or ideal, but it was still my right to do so.
“We don’t charge people for bicycles, we don’t charge people for having a walker or electric scooter, and I don’t expect we would ever charge anybody for having a stroller,” said TTC chair Karen Stintz.
What do you think of stroller congestion? Do you think a limit on the number of strollers would help?
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