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Letters to the Editor
 
I want apology for horror on the buses

I am a mother of two (aged five years and 10 months). On March 8, I collected my eldest son from his school in Aldwych and took the north-bound 168 bus at approximately 4.45pm with the intention of returning home.
The driver was extremely hostile, and refused to allow me to board the bus with my baby in the push-chair, and my other child.
After some discussion, he allowed me on the bus when I explained to him that I would fold up the push-chair and so I paid the fare and entered the bus.
The bus was not at all busy. However, when I noticed a wheel-chair in the disabled area, I started to fold up the push-chair with the intention of placing it in the luggage area.
When the bus stopped at the next stop (Holborn station), the driver left his seat and approached me extremely aggressively shouting “get off the bus, you do not understand English” and did not even allow me time to put my baby back in the pushchair.
I said okay because I did not want to argue with him in front of my son. As I was forced out of the bus carrying my baby in one arm and the pushchair in the other, my foot slipped off the wet steps (it was raining heavily), causing both my baby and myself to fall to the ground. My older child was terrified and started crying uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the people at the bus stop were very kind and understanding. They called the emergency services that sent an ambulance to take me to UCLH.
My baby and I were examined and discharged in the evening. The paramedic told my husband: “We have informed the police and they will come to the hospital to talk to your wife.” But the police did not come! I called the police myself two days later and I was told “the police know about the incident, but you need to go to a police station and report the incident”.
I was in so much pain and felt very tired to go to the police station, my husband had to take a day off to look after me and the baby. I had swelling and tenderness in areas including my shoulder, thigh, and lower back. Three days later my baby became very ill and needed to be hospitalised for two nights (he had ear infection with high fever) and took him a week to recover.
I made a complaint to London Buses and TfL and to the Mayor of London and my MP. I received a letter from London Buses. The letter did not include an apology and they regarded the matter as “a raised point”! After that I received another letter from London Buses’ customer services stating that the Mayor has instructed them to carry out an investigation.
This time the letter was different included an apology and it was very sympathetic. I have not heard from the MP’s office yet and awaiting the result of London Buses investigation.
What I am after is a formal apology and some discipline so no driver treat women and mothers in such dreadful way. I have seen so many mothers struggling with some drivers’ attitude. I am a working mother, I use this bus every day to take my children to school) the day care centre and I have no other means.
The Mayor imposed the congestion charge promising better transport services for all, but in fact it is a daily struggle.
I must say that the most serious injury both my five years old child and myself are going through is the psychological trauma caused by this maltreatment. My son everyday asks me why the driver asked us to get off the bus? I really do not have an answer for that. Whenever we board a bus he says “it is good mum, he is not the same driver”.
Amira Khadum
Address supplied


Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.
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