North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

[Mayneway]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(12/05/2020 09:22)knutstransport Wrote:  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.

Frequencies are roughly 2 hours on tendered services and 1-2 hours on commercial work.
Personally I think it’s time the government spoke to operators and tendering authorities with a plan about slowly increasing frequency’s instead of waiting till the buses are packed before acting.

[iMarkeh]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(12/05/2020 11:35)Mayneway Wrote:  Frequencies are roughly 2 hours on tendered services and 1-2 hours on commercial work.
Personally I think it’s time the government spoke to operators and tendering authorities with a plan about slowly increasing frequency’s instead of waiting till the buses are packed before acting.

They should have firstly given more notice of the change. Welsh Gov and Scotland gave people a few days notice for the garden centres. The UK got told on Sunday that more people could return to work (due to start today, Wednesday) but people got confused and so loads of people returned to work on Monday. This lead to bus operators not being able to sort buses and drivers out over the space of the few hours and the consequential overcrowding.

It's not that anyone wanted the buses to be packed, it all happened with too little notice so no one could plan.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(13/05/2020 16:48)iMarkeh Wrote:  They should have firstly given more notice of the change. Welsh Gov and Scotland gave people a few days notice for the garden centres. The UK got told on Sunday that more people could return to work (due to start today, Wednesday) but people got confused and so loads of people returned to work on Monday. This lead to bus operators not being able to sort buses and drivers out over the space of the few hours and the consequential overcrowding.

It's not that anyone wanted the buses to be packed, it all happened with too little notice so no one could plan.

It should be noted the government never said those who can't work from home should not be working. Boris made it clear that those who cannot work from home can still travel to work during the lockdown (not just key workers.) However, the rail industry started producing what they called 'key worker timetables', while only children of key workers could still send their children to school and there was no guidance in place for non-key workers about best working practice, which led to people thinking that non-key workers aren't supposed to be commuting.

I presume Boris didn't make the announcement last week because the government thought if they did people would do more than they should over the Bank Holiday weekend but he dropped a hint about relaxing exercise restrictions at PMQs last week, which defeated the point.

[K10K11]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(13/05/2020 16:48)iMarkeh Wrote:  They should have firstly given more notice of the change. Welsh Gov and Scotland gave people a few days notice for the garden centres. The UK got told on Sunday that more people could return to work (due to start today, Wednesday) but people got confused and so loads of people returned to work on Monday. This lead to bus operators not being able to sort buses and drivers out over the space of the few hours and the consequential overcrowding.

It's not that anyone wanted the buses to be packed, it all happened with too little notice so no one could plan.

I'd certainly agree that more notice should've been given to various organisations including public transport operators. As an example, it was announced last week that the trains would ramp up frequencies from May 18th. You might have thought if the Government were planning on getting more people out to work, the two things would've been co-ordinated. The Government didn't have to announce this publically, but there should've been consultation with operators.

However, the confusion about when to go back to work was due to Boris Johnson's ambiguous statement on Sunday night. He simply referred to changes "this week" which started with people going back to work. The specific reference to Wednesday was about the changes to exercise.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(14/05/2020 09:57)K10K11 Wrote:  However, the confusion about when to go back to work was due to Boris Johnson's ambiguous statement on Sunday night. He simply referred to changes "this week" which started with people going back to work. The specific reference to Wednesday was about the changes to exercise.

One point made by a construction company on the news was they can't restart until the builder's merchants reopen as obviously the workers need materials and they have exhausted their existing supplies. In this case I think construction workers returning on Wednesday was probably the earliest they could have workers returning to site, given the materials needed to be sourced and delivered before construction workers can continue building, despite the implication from Boris that workers who can't work from home could return the next day.

[Mayneway]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Given what I’ve read, been told and over heard I think there will be a mass of workers returning to work this Monday.

[iMarkeh]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(14/05/2020 12:05)Mayneway Wrote:  Given what I’ve read, been told and over heard I think there will be a mass of workers returning to work this Monday.

It's possible. Preparing the workplace for social distancing, sorting out furlough paperwork to take people off and giving people a week notice to return to work. It's certainly possible.

Only time will tell.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Also worth noting furlough has to be for a minimum of 3 weeks for the government to provide support, so employers are likely to ensure everyone has done a minimum of 3 weeks before recalling them.

Another thing to consider is the NHS is going to start offering in person appointments again for outpatients, with the idea that they get a COVID-19 test around 3 days before their appointment. For those not displaying symptoms they'll probably be asked to attend a drive-through or walk-in testing centre, so for those without cars that's potentially two return bus journeys. So even though hospital visits will be ruled out, it's likely buses serving hospitals will see enhanced usage again.

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Boris has just announced with a caveat that from 1st June outdoor markets can reopen as well as nurseries and selected primary school years, while from 15th June non-essential shops can reopen, as well as selected high school years. I think the latter is something the bus and train operators need to prepare for and perhaps weekday services will need switching to being based on weekday timetables instead of Saturday ones. Personally I think it'll be time to review the lifting of the ENCTS time restriction at that point - if there's more people who have to travel early for work/school, it would be best for the pensioners to wait until later but then at the same time the situation where the first bus after 09:30 is rammed is something that needs to be avoided.

Joe Anderson has said the City of Liverpool schools will not reopen in June. However, my understanding is Cheshire schools have been told to work on the basis that they will partly reopen in June.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
A notice is up in D&G depots stating service levels are to be increased from June 1st and some drivers will be recalled from furlough. It also says drivers currently working will not be furloughed now. It doesn't state which services are being improved or to what level.