North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

[Mrboo]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(10/05/2020 10:13)knutstransport Wrote:  Surely how many people you can fit on a bus, while maintaining social distancing depends who is on the bus. For instance, if 4 people who work together share a house together and they use the bus to get to work then they can sit together on the bus while maintaining social distancing guidelines. If, on the other hand, you have all people from different households on the bus then you would need to ensure no-one sits next to them or behind them or in front of them to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed.

Also if it's a shuttle bus where everyone is getting off at the same stop, you could perhaps say there's room for 2 or 3 standing passengers at the front, as the people sat at the back won't need to get off before them.

One thing that will need to be considered is how often buses are cleaned, especially how often the stop buttons and poles are wiped cleaned. Will the drivers be willing to do that between trips or will it create industrial unrest if managers suggest it?

Drivers can`t clean buses as that outsourced or part of engineering department same as drivers should not open engine compartment as that not there role. you also can't allow people to stand at the front due to driver and people need to pass. But I really don't think it will happen but there is a legal issue if bus companies don't keep other passengers apart as you could ask a court to rule it unsafe

[iMarkeh]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(10/05/2020 10:13)knutstransport Wrote:  Surely how many people you can fit on a bus, while maintaining social distancing depends who is on the bus. For instance, if 4 people who work together share a house together and they use the bus to get to work then they can sit together on the bus while maintaining social distancing guidelines. If, on the other hand, you have all people from different households on the bus then you would need to ensure no-one sits next to them or behind them or in front of them to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed.

Also if it's a shuttle bus where everyone is getting off at the same stop, you could perhaps say there's room for 2 or 3 standing passengers at the front, as the people sat at the back won't need to get off before them.

One thing that will need to be considered is how often buses are cleaned, especially how often the stop buttons and poles are wiped cleaned. Will the drivers be willing to do that between trips or will it create industrial unrest if managers suggest it?

I 100% agree with your first and second point. I think it would be hard to monitor. As we have seen with the lockdown, people will take the rules into their own hands and will do whatever they can to see friends. Shuttle buses would have to be agreed on a route by route basis with unions.

On your last point, I'm not sure if it will continue but Arriva Chester is paying a driver to sit at Chester interchange and clean buses as they come in between trips. Some Stagecoach Chester drivers are also using their layover to clean the buses. I can't comment on other areas.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(10/05/2020 11:05)iMarkeh Wrote:  As we have seen with the lockdown, people will take the rules into their own hands and will do whatever they can to see friends.

Not sure exactly what you've seen but there is nothing in the rules preventing friends from arranging to catch the same bus in to town for doing essential shopping or for one to decide to do shopping at the same time as another is travelling to a medical appointment, as long as they try to keep 2m apart.

Quote:On your last point, I'm not sure if it will continue but Arriva Chester is paying a driver to sit at Chester interchange and clean buses as they come in between trips.

That's easiest to do where there's an inside waiting area with access to toilets. I don't think they'll be doing that at Northwich on a wet or windy day.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Another thing I've thought of is - say an operator uses two different types of buses on a route, both with exactly the same number of forward facing and fold down seats - that won't necessarily mean the maximum number of passengers both types of buses can hold, while social distancing, will be the same. Also it wouldn't necessarily mean that the rules should be the same e.g. maybe the fold down seats would need to be out-of-use on a Solo (with wheels at the very front of the bus) but some fold down seats could be used on an Enviro?

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Picture from an overcrowded Stagecoach Manchester bus appeared on Granada Reports just now.

[wirralbus]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
I do wonder whether this Stagecoach saying to Tfgm effectively this is as much as we can afford to run , if you want more then there is going to have to be some help to help us increase the service with the legal definition of social distancing meaning that no vehicle with 20 passengers can make a profit.

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(11/05/2020 19:25)wirralbus Wrote:  I do wonder whether this Stagecoach saying to Tfgm effectively this is as much as we can afford to run , if you want more then there is going to have to be some help to help us increase the service with the legal definition of social distancing meaning that no vehicle with 20 passengers can make a profit.

Makes me wonder how people are supposed to go back to work - as they've been instructed to do so where possible - without using public transport

Oh wait...

[Mayneway]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(11/05/2020 20:06)SK15 GZG Wrote:  Makes me wonder how people are supposed to go back to work - as they've been instructed to do so where possible - without using public transport

Oh wait...

Problem is most people before covid 19 used buses because they had to. It wasn’t a case of ‘let’s leave the car at home and use the bus’. Most people use it because it’s there only realistic way of getting to work and home so of course the number of people using public transport will rise this week and next.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(11/05/2020 21:04)Mayneway Wrote:  Problem is most people before covid 19 used buses because they had to. It wasn’t a case of ‘let’s leave the car at home and use the bus’. Most people use it because it’s there only realistic way of getting to work and home so of course the number of people using public transport will rise this week and next.

I think one reason why bus usage is higher in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Warrington compared to Cheshire and Lancashire is the frequency of services. People aren't going to wait 40 minutes for a bus after walk if they can walk home in 20 minutes but if the bus is every 5 minutes they might catch the bus, especially if the weather isn't good.

However, I agree that most people won't use the bus if they have a car. People with cars who can't park at their workplace tend to park at stations and Metrolink stops from where they use public transport to reach the city centre - it doesn't happen so much with buses, except for designated Park & Ride services.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(11/05/2020 20:06)SK15 GZG Wrote:  as they've been instructed to do so where possible - without using public transport

From a flick through the full government document yesterday, to me it looks like the government is asking us to not use public transport if we can avoid doing so - rather than the previous stance of only key workers and those travelling for medical or essential shopping should be using public transport. So there's nothing transport bodies or operators can do other than to ask nicely that we don't travel unless we need to, they certainly can't refuse travel because you could walk a mile to work or because they don't believe you should be travelling to work.