Mums with prams deemed public nuisance

London:  Mothers with buggies face a crackdown in a government campaign to improve the public transport "experience".

Officials have identified parents with prams as a priority target, alongside passengers who drink or smoke.

Inconsiderate bus drivers are also under scrutiny, because some are sending older passengers sprawling by accelerating away from stops, according to the Department for Transport.

In a consultation paper issued on Tuesday, officials identified mothers with buggies as a source of trouble because they often park their pushchairs in spaces reserved for wheelchairs.

Every bus built since 2005 has had to be "accessible" to wheelchair users, meaning it must provide a ramp and a designated area. Many parents resort to using these spaces because there is no room anywhere else for buggies — but bus companies will now be told that they face fines unless they keep the wheelchair slots clear.

More space

Mumsnet, an online forum for mothers, said the problem could be solved by providing more space on buses for pushchairs.

Spokesman Justine Roberts added: "We are supportive of making sure wheelchair spaces are available if people need them. But mothers with young children are supposed to use the bus. They need additional spaces. People are just trying to cope and manage as best they can. With a buggy and shopping and a child you will take up quite a lot of space.'"

The government has also proposed an alcohol ban on all buses nationwide — a policy which has already been imposed on London's public transport by Mayor Boris Johnson.

The Home Secretary Alan Johnson said it would help to reduce the public's fear of anti-social behaviour, in a speech in which he denied Britain was "broken".