Did London bendybuses have wheelchair spaces?

[6Gman]

On another Forum someone is insisting that the London artics didn't have wheelchair spaces. I hardly ever used them and can't find a clear answer online - so did they?

Some were in use in Brighton until recently so presumably they must have been so fitted?

 

[RJ]

On another Forum someone is insisting that the London artics didn't have wheelchair spaces. I hardly ever used them and can't find a clear answer online - so did they?

Some were in use in Brighton until recently so presumably they must have been so fitted?

I’ve operated two ex London Mercedes Citaro-Gs. The London spec ones had a wheelchair space opposite the second set of doors along with a wheelchair ramp. There was another space opposite the third set of doors but no ramp there. These buses were among the most accessible on the road. One of mine was ex Brighton so was modified to have a fold out ramp at the front set of doors and wheelchair bays at the front of the bus.

Since December 2000 all buses manufactured to run on service route were required to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act which includes provision to take wheelchairs.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The Citaros- which is what most people mean by a bendy bus- had a wheelchair space. So did the Wright Eclipse Fusion used elsewhere.

Older bendies didn't, but there were only ever a handful of those, such as the Merc O405 in Aberdeen and a few Leyland National-derived bendies.

 

[station_road]

There is a photograph on an old post on these forums of the interior showing the wheelchair space opposite the second door

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/more-borismaster-discussion.129523/page-8#post-2559413

 

[busesrusuk]

One of the many advantages of the bendybuses was the amount of space available to accommodate not only wheelchairs but also a number of buggies at any one time. It solved all the arguments amongst the mums about who should park where at a stroke...