Woman calls for bus ramps to be deployed for strollers after witnessing a father fall while boarding
A woman is calling for bus drivers to deploy accessibility ramps for parents with strollers after witnessing a father fall while boarding a bus with his family.
In an Instagram post uploaded on Aug 2, user @thegigithings said she “couldn’t stay quiet” after seeing a father fall onto his child while trying to board a bus with two bicycles and a stroller.
The carousel post has since garnered more than 2,900 likes, 3,000 reactions and 180 comments.
Woman calls for bus drivers to deploy ramp for parents boarding with stroller
The woman, who goes by Gina, said the incident “pushed (her) over the edge”, prompting her to write to the bus operators and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
She called for bus drivers to deploy accessibility ramps for parents boarding with strollers, instead of limiting their use to wheelchair users.
“This isn’t about saying one group deserves it more than another. It’s about recognising that both groups face genuine mobility challenges,” she wrote.
According to Gina, she saw a family of five — two parents and three children — attempting to board the bus with two bicycles and a stroller.
She claimed the bus had stopped “quite a distance from the curb”, making it even more difficult for the family to board.
Gina also said while passengers had already boarded through the front door, the rear door remained closed, forcing the father to walk to the front to ask the driver to open it.
Instead of showing understanding, she claimed the driver responded with “an eye roll”.
As the parents tried to get the children and their belongings across the gap onto the bus, Gina said the father lost his balance and fell onto one of his children together with one of the bicycles.
“We gasped as the child and him were between the curb and the bus.”
She said she and her family members quickly stepped in to help carry one of the bicycles onto the bus.
Gina also claimed that when she boarded later, the fare reader did not respond when she tapped her card.
After asking the driver to activate it again, she alleged that she was met with “another eye roll” and an impatient “tsk”.
Pointing out that parents “are not trying to inconvenience anyone”, she wrote that they are simply trying to board the bus safely and quickly — something that can be challenging while managing strollers, young children, groceries and even scooters.
Calls for ‘patience instead of annoyance’
She questioned whether society was doing enough to support families.
“When we take public transport, we ask that you wait a few seconds more. A ramp that makes boarding safer. A little patience instead of annoyance. A little empathy instead of eye rolls,” she wrote.
She added that not every family could afford a car and many rely on public transport to get around. Yet, she said, something as ordinary as boarding a bus “can feel stressful, humiliating, like you’re inconveniencing everyone around you”.
Her post ended with a photo of the bus’s licence plate and the words: “Shame on you 298 driver.”
‘I’ve seen this happen many times’
Speaking to Stomp, Gina said the incident happened on bus service 298 in Tampines North, heading towards Tampines Interchange, at about 9.15pm on Aug 2.
The 32-year-old business owner said it was not the first time she had experienced or witnessed such incidents, adding that she had been met with stares, side-eyes, head shakes and little to no help, which she described as “absolutely upsetting”.
She added that she frequently takes the bus as her toddler enjoys the ride and it is a short one to the central part of Singapore.
According to Gina, she has also seen bus drivers brake suddenly causing passengers to fall, pull away before passengers had taken their seats, make sharp turns, stop far from the curb and commuters occupying priority seats.
She noted that while parents with strollers are encouraged to fold them when a wheelchair user boards the bus, doing so is not always practical as she often sees parents travelling alone with multiple young children.
“Though the stroller is empty, can you imagine folding it while carrying groceries and looking after a toddler at the same time?” she said.
Gina added that Go-Ahead had yet to respond to her, but said Baey Yam Keng, Minister of State for Transport and MP for Tampines GRC, had commented on her Instagram post and referred the matter to the LTA for investigation.
Stomp has reached out to Go-Ahead for comment.
Netizens share similar experiences
Many netizens expressed support for Gina, with some sharing their own experiences using public transport with young children.
One commenter claimed they felt some bus drivers “purposely stop far from the curb”, making it difficult for families to board.
Others said they avoid taking buses with their young children for the reasons Gina highlighted in her post. “MRT, walk or taxi. That’s it,” a comment read.
Another commenter joked that travelling on service 298 often felt “like surf sailing”, adding: “We literally get flung all over.”
“Kudos for shedding light into a constantly overlooked territory,” one said.
Others, however, said many bus drivers had been considerate and helpful.
“I do feel this too. But I also love how so many drivers are extremely kind and aware of our needs. They wait for us to settle in before moving off...,” one commenter wrote.
“There’s always both sides and I’d like to believe that there’s more kindness than there is impatience and intolerance.”
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