Our View: Battle stations on the buses | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

There's a stoush on our city buses - mums in prams versus people with disabilities.

Apparently they are fighting for space on our buses and there doesn't appear to be much love lost between the two sides, each blaming the other for what's going on.

It's all to do with how much space prams take up on the buses. Rotorua woman Diana Hodgson, who uses crutches to get around, says she struggles to find a seat and another woman with disabilities, who needs two crutches to walk, says she finds it hard even getting past the prams taking up space when she is catching her bus.

Ms Hodgson isn't blaming the bus company but says young mothers show little courtesy for people with disabilities and she is angry about the attitudes she says she faces.

Meanwhile, a young mum we spoke to reckons people with disabilities often won't move their crutches to allow her to get her pram past. Besides, Ahenata Te Kani argues, it's safer for her child to be in the pram than on her lap.

Another young mum, Mary Courtney, says she has given up her seat for someone with a disability but if there's another seat available and someone demands she move, she ignores them.

Geez, can't we all just get along?

Seems to us this is really just a matter of everyone being courteous to all the other bus users.

Perhaps next time a new bus is needed to replace one that has done its dash, the regional council could look at providing some storage space, like large buses have, so prams can be safely stashed away.

Ultimately though, this really just comes down to everybody showing a bit of tolerance, some common courtesy and a little respect for others - all of which, sadly, appear to be in increasingly short supply these days.

How would you want a disabled family member treated? How would you wish a mum in your family out shopping with child in pram to be treated? Think of it that way.