Are you looking for a design or for transportation for someone?

As far as I know, urban and regional public transportation systems are required as best possible to accommodate people with physical disabilities. In places where accommodation on actual buses or other vehicles isn't possible, the so-called Paratransit vans are provided.

Is it you or someone you know who isn't able to use public transportation?

This is only the 21st century...next you'll be expecting adequate restrooms so women don't have to wait in long lines!

^^^Ha! The other day I noted that both my hot dog and hot dog buns came in packages of 8! Progress - how many decades was that mismatch a running joke?

But serious answer to Jally, best you can probably do is pass on your observations and suggestions to your electeds and the the transportation department. Believe it or not, if enough people complain change can be made. We had a situation with new trains - the seat design was such that the arm rest would catch pants pockets as we sat down, tearing our slacks. Eventually they retrofitted every seat in every car, after enough complaints. Also look for local facebook groups, subreddits, etc. to get people to join the chorus.

The next time I talk to DMIL, I will ask her about her senior bus. I know all the things she loves about it, including the camaraderie that has grown among the riders. But during Covid it was stopped, then it picked up again but only by appointment. The driver is still nice and helpful, but she is rather at the mercy of their availability. I think it is still by appointment. But, her shopping center is going to be redeveloped, so she will not have her bank for two years until they reopen on the new center, and also I think her grocery store.

By shopping carts, you mean little hand pulled carts, like the one I use when I walk to a grocery? Not the actual store carts (although I do see them abandoned at bus stops).

I'm wondering about shopping carts too. The senior services I'm familiar with can allow hand-carts on the bus, but they don't attach them to the outside of the bus. People with their scooters or wheelchairs get loaded into the bus with their gear, that does not get attached to the outside of the bus either. Shopping carts belong to the store and trying to take them home is usually frowned upon and the bus drivers wouldn't allow them on the bus.

Some of the buses do trips- as in on X day the bus goes from the senior center or community to the grocier, and people sign up. Some of the busses are I think run by the senior centers- those tend to take trips from the center or to pick up folks to take to the center. Those ones can also arrange for medical transport for appointments too. There is also the in town bus- it's like regular bus routes in that it runs on times and has stops, but it's special buses only for the elderly or disabled. Those have special equipment like lifts to help load/unload folks.

foodonastump - i'd be better positioned to pass on suggestions if i could be armed with an excellent online link depicting the most ideal design possible. I.E. the internal view of a humanely-designed senior transport bus which takes into account all the points i mentioned. Note that to whistleblow is very risky. It's less risky to request bus-design which assumes that the driver will do his very best to be non-accommodating, arbitrary, and drive too quickly over bumpy roads. I'm still trying to figure out a work-around for authoritarian dispatchers who are non-available (or keep you on hold) when you wish to know if the bus will arrive in 5 or 10 or 15 min.

bpath, what i'd much appreciate, is an internal photo showing all the conveniences (if any) inside the bus which your MIL likes. Then again, I don't know if she has back issues like me. So it's possible that features your MIL's anatomy tolerates, my own anatomy would not tolerate.

raee & beesneeds - here's exactly what i'm speaking of: https://www.ebay.com/itm/333675101441?chn=ps except in alot worse shape including rusty.

Here's a similar example of the lift I've experienced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDLdUXcotEc

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P.S. While researching, i saw the following design i do not like. I mean, no shopping-cart-anchors nearby seats? Where's pull-down arm-rests for security? (1:28 on slider) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdsdPlyKSvw

Also see 5:10 on slider (near the end) re: elderly/disabled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n681AmSdU8w

Yes, around here the hand shopping carts like that get loaded into the bus, they don't get strapped to the outside of the bus. Imagine if it is raining or snowing, ones shopping would get all messed up if it was strapped to the outside of the bus. There might also be some legal issues involved with strapping things to the outsides of busses here, there aren't bike carriers on the regular in town busses either. I would hazard a guess that some of senior center style busses don't do exterior strapping because often the speed limit on the out of town roads around here is 45-55 and deer are always about. Probably too risky having someones shopping cart and potentially their shopping coming out of the cart if it's on the exterior of the bus.

I was speaking of interior design of senior buses, not exterior.