Dad refused entry on public bus after driver enforces little-known child 'rule'
Transport for NSW was forced to apologise to the dad who has made the same commute for over a year.
A dad is urging Aussie parents to know their rights on public transport after he and his daughter weren't allowed to board a bus they've been taking every day for over a year.
It was like any ordinary day when Graham Cooke of Sydney attempted to board the 370 bus with toddler Katie from his Newtown home. The pair had spent the best part of a year commuting together to and from Katie's childcare before Cooke makes his way to work.
Cooke told Yahoo News that on Wednesday at around 7am, the driver "aggressively" asked the dad how old his daughter was when boarding the bus. When he explained that she was two-and-a-half, the dad claims the driver told him it was against the rules to have a toddler ride the bus without being in a stroller.
"He immediately goes, 'no', puts his hand up, and he's like, 'you need to get off the bus. Children under three need to be in a stroller'." Cooke explained to Yahoo News. He went on to tell the driver that's not the case.
"He kept kind of yelling 'you need to get off the bus, I'm not driving the bus with a two-and-a-half-year-old held in your arms'," Graham said. But he tried to explain that he's done it 'every day'.
'Unpleasant' bus experience leaves family 'upset'
Looking up the rule on the Transport for NSW, Cooke discovered there was no such rule — and told the driver just that. To which the driver responded that Cooke was holding everybody on the bus up.
"I'm entitled to get the bus with my toddler, I'm just trying to get to work," Cooke said. After the standoff, the dad and his daughter had no choice but to get off the bus and wait for the next one — where they had no issues getting on board.
"It was a really unpleasant experience," he said. His daughter, who ordinarily loves getting the bus, was left "upset" and cuddling into her dad.
"She loves saying hello to bus drivers. She tends to, kind of charm everybody around pretty, pretty lovely experience," he said.
"It upset me, because I just wanted to get to work and to be rejected on public transport in such a way. So it was a very unpleasant start to the day, and he was very aggressive and dogmatic about his view."
After contacting Transport for NSW, the authority apologised for the incident.
"It looks like it's completely not a rule," he said. "Parents should be able to bring their kids to daycare. A lot of daycares don't allow you to bring a stroller and leave it there."
Travelling with a child 'hard enough' in NSW
While the dad admits that 99 per cent of drivers are "lovely", he wants to send a message to other parents that they should know their rights travelling around on public transport.
"It's difficult enough getting around in NSW with a toddler," he said. "It makes having a child and exploring the city pretty difficult. If you're in this situation, know your rights and that you can't be kicked off a bus just because you don't have a stroller, if you're happy enough carrying or holding your toddler.
Transport for NSW weighs in on toddler rules
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said passengers travelling on buses with young children and prams have the choice to seat children in their care on a seat next to them, on their lap or to have them strapped into a pram where there is space on board for it to be parked safely.
"All of our accessible buses have specific areas for prams and wheelchairs near the front of the bus, which will allow children to remain in the pram while on board if required," they said. "In that case, the front of the pram must be facing towards the back of the bus and be in firm contact with the panel, or bar behind it.
"You'll need to fold your pram or stroller and store it in the luggage rack if there is not enough space on board the bus to safely park the pram, or if the driver asks you to.
"In that case, you’ll need to seat the children in your care with you as it is not safe to stand and carry a child while a bus is moving."
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