Photo/Illutration Mothers of twins gather in Nagoya to talk about their problems and help each other in a meeting in May. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAGOYA--A mother's complaint of being denied entry aboard a city bus because she was carrying her twin babies in a double stroller has sparked a major outrage nationwide.

However, Nagoya officials who have investigated her claim said they have been unable to identify the driver who may have been involved in the incident, which she said occurred in late October.

The Nagoya city government’s transportation bureau said on Nov. 11 that after interviewing about 200 city bus drivers, they did not find anyone who admitted to refusing to allow a woman to board with a double stroller, which has side-by-side seats.

But the bureau said that the result of the inquiry does not necessarily substantiate that there was no such refusal.

“We don’t mean to deny our customer’s claim,” a bureau official said.

The inquiry began on Nov. 7 after a mother of 1-year-old twins living in Nagoya complained that a city bus driver denied her entry with her buggy late last month.

The woman, 34, said she needed to take the bus to the ward office to handle a matter.

She passed up three packed buses until one not so crowded came along. The driver told her to carry the buggy inside the bus, according to the woman.

As it was difficult to do so while holding her two infants, she requested the assistance of a wheelchair ramp, which a bus is supposed to be equipped with.

But the driver did not respond to her request, the woman claimed.

The woman ended up walking for about 40 minutes to the ward office while pushing the buggy.

In response to the woman’s grievance, the transportation bureau tried to identify the driver and bus, to determine if the driver’s response was inappropriate.

As footage of a dashboard camera installed on each city bus is kept for only about a week and then taped over with new footage, the bureau was forced to interview about 200 drivers, but to no avail.

In addition, it was discovered recently that a city employee at one of the bureau’s offices gave incorrect information to a telephone caller inquiring about riding a bus on Nov. 4.

The employee explained that a passenger cannot board a bus with a twin stroller carrying seated toddlers.

The woman in question said she had received a similar explanation when she inquired previously.

But the city’s rules were changed in October 2013 so that a passenger can now board a large bus with a twin buggy with children remaining in their seats.

But the rules differ for a small and midsize bus. A passenger must take the two toddlers out of the stroller and fold it before boarding.

In either case, a driver is supposed to assist a passenger with a stroller when they get on and off.

The city transportation bureau said it will make sure that drivers are fully aware of the rules to prevent a recurrence.

The difficulty for a mother raising twins or multiple children to get around is cited in an online survey conducted in September and October by two Tokyo-based private groups supporting struggling mothers, Tatai Ikuji no Support wo Kangaeru Kai and Florence.

About 90 percent of 1,591 respondents said going out and traveling about with babies is a major headache. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers in the nationwide survey.

Some said they often had to give up riding a bus if they were required to fold a double stroller because they could not carry their children, stroller and bags at the same time.

The groups called for accommodating mothers by letting them ride a bus without having to fold a buggy or providing them with a subsidy to take a taxi.

(This article was written by Katsumoto Horikawa and Tomoaki Hosaka.)