Visitor To Roosevelt Island Warns Of A Tragedy Waiting To Happen On Red Bus With Overcrowding And Unfolded Strollers - No Place For Elderly To Sit Too

A visitor to Roosevelt Island shares her concern about safety on the Red Bus.

Earlier this month, we visited your lovely and interesting island. We were horrified with the local free bus service.

We boarded at the first stop going south. There were two oversized motorized wheelchairs, one on each side of the bus. A couple of stops later, THREE LARGE STROLLERS, one a DOUBLE STROLLER, boarded. At the next stop another stroller boarded and positioned itself near the entrance of the bus.

Two elderly people tried to enter the bus. There were NO seats for them. There was NO aisle space to move to the middle or back of the bus. There were people standing in the entrance to the bus on top of the closed ramp.

At the next stop a woman with a WALKER squeezed herself into the bus, and remained at the entrance, standing between the door and windshield/dashboard.

Every time the bus stopped, the strollers and people rolled forward, passengers losing their balance, bags & etc flying in the air. Someone said it was "normal"........

In the event the driver would have had to suddenly slam on the brakes, EVERYONE, including the woman with the walker, would have gone through the windshield.

All the makings of a tragedy---just waiting to happen.

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Strollers and Shopping Carts must be folded upon operator's request

and:

Boarding Restrictions

Hand baggage, instrument cases, bundles and parcels may be carried onto RIOC buses by customers provided that these articles can be carried on without inconveniencing other customers and/or the driver and does not obstruct the bus aisle or doors. Persons with unfolded strollers and/or shopping carts are not permitted to board RIOC buses unless the driver, at his or her sole discretion, determines that it will not cause an inconvenience or safety hazard to other customers or the driver. Orthopedic (wheelchair type) strollers for children with disabilities are permitted on buses just as wheelchairs are and must be secured in the wheelchair area. Bus operators must check strollers carefully to ensure that children with disabilities are not denied accessible service

More on Red Bus baby strollers 

 Image From 2012 Post

from previous posts here and here.