Parents argued that folding up their strollers before getting on the bus was difficult and impractical. (CBC)

Parents in Ottawa can keep taking the bus without worrying about having to fold up their stroller after city council rejected proposed new rules that would have restricted the use of strollers on public transit.

Proposed rules limiting the number, size and location of open strollers on OC Transpo buses were rejected Wednesday.

Instead, current practice will prevail:

• Strollers are to be placed in a designated wheelchair spot if one is available.
• If one is unavailable, the stroller is allowed in the aisle.
• If a wheelchair boards, a stroller in a designated wheelchair spot must move into the aisle.
• If it is blocking the movement of other passengers, the bus driver may ask that the stroller be folded.

City staff and advocates of seniors and people with disabilities had proposed tighter rules in response to complaints about the area at the front of the bus reserved for seniors, pregnant women, people with disabilities and passengers with small children. Customers and operators said the strollers blocked other passengers and resulted in injuries.

However, parents said folding up their strollers was difficult and impractical.

Coun. Clive Doucet spoke out passionately on parents' behalf during Wednesday's debate.

"When someone gets on in a stroller or in a wheelchair, it is tight," he said. "So what? You say, 'I'm sorry.' You say, 'Excuse me.' You help the person if you need to lift the seat up. The person in the wheelchair goes there very comfortably, and you move on."

City staff had proposed:

• Banning non-folding single strollers.
• Allowing only one open stroller on board at a time, in a designated wheelchair spot, and only if the stroller is occupied by a child at the time.
• Requiring the parent to fold up the stroller and move if a wheelchair needed the spot.

Advocates for seniors and people with disabilities had also proposed limits on the size of strollers and wanted parents to be "strongly encouraged" to fold their strollers as a "default policy."