Prams On Buses

"I am writing on behalf of all mothers who own the large type of pram. Our complaint is that the Suburban Bus Company is refusing our prams and has given us no notice of its intentions. I am luckier than most for I have been able' to sell mine, but there are many who cannot. How are we meant to get to town with our babies?" (Signed, Mrs B. M. Barret t, Tahuna).

We investigated this complaint thoroughly and we discovered the following facts:-

Until very recently the bus company carried All makes and sizes of prams on their buses, but as the result of injuries to their drivers and the fact that two such prams occupy the spaces allocated to four prams and also that they are liable to suffer damage through dragging on the kerb because of their size, it was decided not to carry them in the future. A company official told us that in no case had women with such prams been refused admittance to the bus or the prams loaded on the first occasion they had sought transport, but that they had been told that in the future such prams would not be.carried. The manager of a store selling these prams said that he had instructed his staff to advise any mothers wishing to buy a pram, knowing that it would be likely to be carried on a bus, to select a smaller one. He pointed out that the company had always had great difficulty in handling such large prams and had been most tolerant in this respect. From the Christchurch Transport Board we discovered there are very rigid specifications for prams handled on buses in Christchurch. No pram must exceed 38 lbs (all up) weight and other restrictions apply to length, wheelbase and depth. The unladen weight of one of the large prams under complaint here is 56 lbs. Add to that the weight of a mattress, pillow, blankets and seat for the toddler, and the all-up weight could be as high as 65 lbs and more. And, because of their size, they are unwieldy to lift (we tried). While we sympathise with mothers in this predicament, our major sympathies in this instance lie with the company driver, especially since (quite amazingly) prams are carried Free by the company. We pass on to mothers-to-be and purchasers of prams the advice given to us: Check, before you buy, to see if these prams are acceptable.

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