North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(05/05/2020 19:48)Mayneway Wrote:  Buses will have to go back to pretty much normal operations sooner rather than later. The news today that the furlough scheme will be phased out over the coming weeks means operators will either lay drivers off completely or bring them into work. Can’t see them wanting to pay staff to sit at home.
80% of diamond north west staff are currently furlonged and their asking more drivers to join the scheme for the final 4 weeks. I was told 75% of stagecoach Manchester’s staff are currently furlonged. It’s s case of things having to get back to normal unless they have deep pockets.

Furlough with the government funding 80% is to continue until the end of June. We're likely talking about the government trying to get those who can't work from home back in work during June with some exceptions but crucially not everyone which will affect loadings.

According to The Guardian the Treasury are looking at numerous ideas for phasing out furlough including:
- Reducing the £2500 cap
- Reducing 80% support to 60%
- Allowing full time workers to be furloughed for some days and working on other days

[Mrboo]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
Just need unions to want same. 20 passengers on each double-decker limit

https://www.route-one.net/news/transport...-on-buses/

[wirralbus]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
This means as services ramp up that Double Deckers will be favoured over single deckers , meaning that companies with a mainly single deck fleet will likely struggle with capacity issues .

With only 20 passengers on a double deck , the bus companies are still going to need a lot of help financially otherwise some will just go to the wall

[Rodney259]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(09/05/2020 13:41)wirralbus Wrote:  This means as services ramp up that Double Deckers will be favoured over single deckers , meaning that companies with a mainly single deck fleet will likely struggle with capacity issues .

With only 20 passengers on a double deck , the bus companies are still going to need a lot of help financially otherwise some will just go to the wall

With these leadings bus companies might as well shut up shop and invest in Halfords!

[MTL0201]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(08/05/2020 16:54)Mrboo Wrote:  Just need unions to want same. 20 passengers on each double-decker limit

https://www.route-one.net/news/transport...-on-buses/

That's going to be great, when it's an hourly service or worse, & you're having to force passengers to wait for the next service because 20 passengers are all ready on board & no one os getting off, & there's no guarantee either that you're going to get on the next service either

[KXW212]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(09/05/2020 16:02)MTL0201 Wrote:  That's going to be great, when it's an hourly service or worse, & you're having to force passengers to wait for the next service because 20 passengers are all ready on board & no one os getting off, & there's no guarantee either that you're going to get on the next service either

NHS and other key workers rely on last buses more than most, so that one turns up 'full', then what ?. Letting down the very people that you shouldn't. I suppose it's easy to come up with ideas like that from the back of a ministerial limo.

[Mrboo]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(09/05/2020 18:30)KXW212 Wrote:  NHS and other key workers rely on last buses more than most, so that one turns up 'full', then what ?. Letting down the very people that you shouldn't. I suppose it's easy to come up with ideas like that from the back of a ministerial limo.

Stagecoach do Drup the first 38:midweek they have the buses and drivers same about other companies. It just the little midi routes that are the issue as they should be full size buses. They should of pulled plug on child tickets and free passes for a start but offered free travel with a fare paying passenger unless it school travel of course. Most buses are not getting 20 passengers apart from known work services that would not be a issue to add trescores. Let's see what happens when union begin to take action mind you.

[M60lad]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak
We'll have to see what Boris actually says tonight as I'm sure there was talk that as of today he'll be starting to ease lockdown and social distancing in a gradual way so that might just mean letting more people out and about and letting more people travel on public transpoirt.

[L401CJF]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(10/05/2020 00:00)Mrboo Wrote:  Stagecoach do Drup the first 38:midweek they have the buses and drivers same about other companies. It just the little midi routes that are the issue as they should be full size buses. They should of pulled plug on child tickets and free passes for a start but offered free travel with a fare paying passenger unless it school travel of course. Most buses are not getting 20 passengers apart from known work services that would not be a issue to add trescores. Let's see what happens when union begin to take action mind you.

We've still got too many kids in groups getting on our buses, still selling a lot of mytickets, and a hell of a lot of people riding up and down all day for no good reason. Same fsces every day travelling for non essential purposes. Absolute joke, yet rather than having a larger presence of checkers on the buses enforcing things (or at least getting on the buses regularly to try and make people think they're checking) , the arriva ones are busy checking drivers are turning engines off on city centre layover!

[knutstransport]

RE: North West Bus Service Changes due to Coronavirus outbreak

(08/05/2020 16:54)Mrboo Wrote:  Just need unions to want same. 20 passengers on each double-decker limit

https://www.route-one.net/news/transport...-on-buses/

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?