A Scots mum claims her baby suffered concussion after his pram fell from a Stagecoach bus when the driver failed to lower the exit ramp.
First time mum Shelley Candlish said she was getting off the number 3 bus at Onthank terminal in Kilmarnock on Thursday afternoon with her pram, carrying her four-month-old son, Mason.
The 25-year-old claims to have pointed to the large drop between the bus door and pavement and told the driver 'that looks a bit high' but he failed to lower the exit ramp to let her off safely.
She said the pram fell down the gap between the bus and pavement as she tried to manoeuvre it off the vehicle.
She told the Record the bus driver failed to come to her aid after the pram fell, prompting another passenger to offer assistance.
The mum-of-one said her baby son, who was strapped into the pram, struck his head on his pram when it fell as she exited the vehicle.
Shelley said when she arrived home shortly after the incident and tried to feed her baby his bottle, he 'projectile vomited everywhere'.
Speaking to the Record, Shelley said: "As I tried to get off the bus the back wheels of my pram fell down what was actually a massive gap between the bus and the pavement. I managed to grab the pram before it hit the road, but Mason hit his head.
"He didn't cry he just looked dazed and when I checked him over I couldn't see a mark or anything.
"The driver didn't even help me or get our his seat. Another passenger got up to see if I was ok and helped me off.
"I walked home and as I got in I checked Mason again. He was due a feed so I made his bottle but as soon as he took a few ounces of milk he projectile vomited everywhere.
Worried, Shelley took Mason to A&E at Crosshouse Hospital where medics ran tests and checked his blood pressure.
"When I took him to A&E and they did some tests, checked his blood pressure, and they said he had concussion from a blow to the head."
"They kept him in for eight hours. I was distraught worrying about him. I couldn't believe this had all happened from just getting off the bus."
After Mason was released from Crosshouse Hospital Shelley and partner Paul Watters contacted Stagecoach via email, on Twitter and then called Kilmarnock Bus Station to complain.
She said: "I have tried to speak to someone about what happened.
"At the end of the day my son suffered a concussion.
"Luckily Mason was strapped in or he would have fallen right out the pram and on to the road. I can't even bear to think of his much of how much worse it could have been.
Shelley shared her experience in a post on her Facebook page and says the response from other mums was 'unreal'.
She added: "All these mums I know were messaging me saying they had similar experiences on these buses because drivers hadn't pulled in properly or had not lowered the ramp. It's clearly something that needs to be addressed."
A Stagecoach West Scotland spokesperson said: “Our first thoughts are for baby Mason and his family. The safety of all of our passengers is our priority and our drivers are trained to very high standards in customer care.
“We are taking these claims very seriously and are carrying out a detailed investigation.
"This includes checking the CCTV from the bus and speaking to the driver and another customer travelling on the bus in question.
"We have been speaking directly to Ms Candlish regularly to keep her updated on the investigation and next steps.”
