CONFLICT between wheelchair users and parents with buggies has led to problems on the buses across Oxfordshire.

Oxford Bus Company said it was an industry-wide issue and had caused some “unpleasant confrontations”.

Spokesman Phil Ashworth said on some occasions people were unwilling to move their pushchairs to make way for a wheelchair.

It comes as the father of a seven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy has said he’s had problems with access due to parents taking up space.

Andrew Chesterman, of Blackbird Leys, takes his daughter Escenia on the bus several times a month.

He said on some occasions, they haven’t been able to get on the bus and called for an attitude change.

The full-time carer said he has complained several times and received apologies but has now called for common sense to prevail on the part of the drivers.

He said: “I have had enough. It needs to be sorted out and the drivers should use some common sense.

“People say well why don’t you drive, but that’s beside the point.

“It’s about having her out in the public – she likes getting on the bus and won’t be able to drive so needs to learn to be independent.”

Mr Chesterman said the last straw was an incident on a Stagecoach bus last week.

He said that his daughter and an elderly lady were left to wait for the next bus at the expense of buggies.

Stagecoach said it was investigating the incident and insisted its passengers make way for people with disabilities.

Spokeswoman Karen Coventry said: “Our policy remains for drivers to assist a wheelchair user and insist that any passenger using the wheelchair space to make adjustments and move out of the space.

“We encourage all of our customers to respect the needs of fellow passengers, particularly people with disabilities.”

Mr Ashworth said that a conflict between the two had caused problems.

He said: “Most operators provide one space for a wheelchair, which if not in use can be occupied by a buggy until a wheelchair user needs it.

“Drivers have been put in an impossible position and often received a barrage of choice language when the buggy user was asked to help a wheelchair user.

“On occasions, we discover that there wasn’t actually a baby travelling with the buggy.”

Two years ago, OBC became one of the first bus companies to provide two designated bays: one for wheelchairs and one for pushchairs.

Mr Ashworth said this had been successful but acknowledged Mr Chesterman’s recent issues.

Siobhan Rhodes, of Abingdon, regularly uses the bus with her two-year-old son Sonny Rhodes-Beal.

She said: “We have just been to the Redbridge Park and Ride and a lady with a mobility scooter had to wait for the next bus because there were already two pushchairs on the bus.”