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Buses and the coronavirus

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Baxenden Bank

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Thanks for the info. On paper a 33% reduction in bph but it still seems like a 5 minute core frequency is overkill in the current circumstances.
I guess it's what is easiest to come up with at very short notice - just swap to Saturday from M-F. Sunday may be too large a step to take all in one go. I suspect going to Sunday levels of service, or bespoke timetables, are a likely action quite soon.
 

Bletchleyite

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I guess it's what is easiest to come up with at very short notice - just swap to Saturday from M-F. Sunday may be too large a step to take all in one go. I suspect going to Sunday levels of service, or bespoke timetables, are a likely action quite soon.

If we go down to only key workers working, as I think we will, shut it all down and requisition the national bus fleet to provide dedicated services only.
 

Dai Corner

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Newport Transport are to provide a free, dedicated service for NHS and emergency services

Newport Transport - Saturday, March 21, 2020
As the main bus operator in Newport, Newport Bus is reaching out to emergency services personnel: NHS, Ambulance, Fire and Police Service by providing free bus transport on our network of bus services for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, we will offer alternative transportation to NHS Staff and Emergency services workers as follows:

  • Pick up of residents from Cwmbran and Newport (from their closest bus stop or safe place)
  • Drop off in Newport only (Royal Gwent Hospital, St Woolos, St Cadocs, Police stations, Fire Station)
  • Monday to Friday mini bus service with multiple pick up and drop off points expected
To arrange email name, contact number, address, drop off point and shift time to: [email protected]

This alternative transport provision is available for those emergency workers living in both Newport and Cwmbran working in Newport where there is not an alternative Newport Bus service operating. When boarding any of our services simply show your staff ID badge to the driver on boarding.

Scott Pearson, MD for Newport Transport explains: “We understand that reliable transport is key for our emergency workers to get to work so by offering free travel on our bus services and special minibus services for those not on a bus route we can ensure that they can get to where they need to be and provide the amazing care as they do every day.”

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https://www.newportbus.co.uk/media
 

Robertj21a

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I guess it's what is easiest to come up with at very short notice - just swap to Saturday from M-F. Sunday may be too large a step to take all in one go. I suspect going to Sunday levels of service, or bespoke timetables, are a likely action quite soon.

With so many big stores now announcing that they are closing tonight/tomorrow it will only really need a Sunday service for many areas. As long as they add in some extra trips to cater for those still working I'd guess it will be adequate for many operators.
 

Dai Corner

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South Wales operator NAT is to stop accepting cash

NAT Group said:
CASHLESS: From Wednesday (this week), we will temporarily only be taking contactless payments on our buses (ApplePay, GooglePay, contactless card, concessionary card or mobile app). Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause, but the safety of our employees and fellow passengers is in question if we continue to take cash.
 

Darandio

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What's the issue with cash? Is it especially prone to carrying the disease? How long does the virus stay alive after it has left the host anyway?

2-3 days in the right conditions on plastics and stainless steel. Other materials vary quite a lot.
 

Baxenden Bank

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2-3 days in the right conditions on plastics and stainless steel. Other materials vary quite a lot.
Ah, I see.
At the start of this situation, there was much talk on "serious radio" (BBC R4 and World Service, the health and science programmes) about how long the coronavirus lived outside the host. But I hadn't seen or heard anything since, which is strange given the saturation coverage in every strand of radio programme. No-one has stated that to my knowledge, nor explained the reasons for hand washing every time you enter the house. If I recall correctly, most viruses are dead fairly quickly after leaving a host, which is why you can be within 2 metres of someone, so long as they don't cough (travels further) or sneezes (travels much further and is vapourised, making it easier to take deep into the airway).
 

Darandio

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Ah, I see.
At the start of this situation, there was much talk on "serious radio" (BBC R4 and World Service, the health and science programmes) about how long the coronavirus lived outside the host. But I hadn't seen or heard anything since, which is strange given the saturation coverage in every strand of radio programme. No-one has stated that to my knowledge, nor explained the reasons for hand washing every time you enter the house. If I recall correctly, most viruses are dead fairly quickly after leaving a host, which is why you can be within 2 metres of someone, so long as they don't cough (travels further) or sneezes (travels much further and is vapourised, making it easier to take deep into the airway).

This sums the current understanding pretty well, particularly the part i've quoted below.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200317-covid-19-how-long-does-the-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces

It means that the virus circulating in unfiltered air conditioning systems will only persist for a couple of hours at the most, especially as aerosol droplets tend to settle on surfaces faster in disturbed air.

But the NIH study found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus survives for longer on cardboard – up to 24 hours – and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces.
 

Baxenden Bank

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This sums the current understanding pretty well, particularly the part i've quoted below.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200317-covid-19-how-long-does-the-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces
Thanks for that, I haven't read it yet but will imminently.
To be honest, I've stopped listening to most of my usual radio programmes. On the BBC Sounds app, I look at my list of progammes and every one is Coronavirus. Moneybox - financial impacts, Tech Tent - Apps and so on. Even the music programmes it's 'requests to help those at home' etc. There's only so much I want to listen to. I look at the HM and NHS advice, the daily numbers (out of curiosity, not worry) and scan the news headlines.
 

Markdvdman

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National Express coach network reduced from Tuesday 24 March to service level similar to Christmas Day. Timetables now on website at https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/live-service-updates

I was on the 508 from Cross hands to Swansea - and I was the only one on the coach. The driver told me basically all services West of swansea are not going to be running at all until the situation gets better. I then got on the T6 to brecon - two on at Swansea including me. One got off at Ystradgynlais NOBODY got on!!! Another two got on one regular at Sennybridge for work, and another a bit later for Brecon. So 4 in total!! The T4 from Brecon had a bit more but not a lot!!!

It is understandable really as it is not economically viable for operators to run with skeleton passengers, and environmentally bad too! It will hurt me as my girfriend lives in West Wales and I might not see her much for while but sadly that is what this crisis is doing!
 

SCH117X

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Transdev having announced a Saturday service from Monday 23rd, and having published timetables to suit, are now going to further reduce timetables from Tuesday 24th according to a tweet by Alex Hornby "We will extend the span of day but run fewer buses during off-peak. Aim is to serve key workers, grocery shoppers & those attending school" Full details are said to be available in the morning.
 

DunsBus

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Borders Buses are running restricted timetables as from today. I saw a 60 pass through Duns at just after 9am with a passenger load of nil. Good to see that the message is getting across - in my neck of the woods, anyway.
 

arbeia

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David Brown, head of Go Ahead group, states that use of spare capacity will be provided for NHS staff, and also buses could be used to back up the food and goods supply chain.
 
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Back in Geordieland!
Borders Buses are running restricted timetables as from today. I saw a 60 pass through Duns at just after 9am with a passenger load of nil. Good to see that the message is getting across - in my neck of the woods, anyway.
Hello, we live in Gordon and that is our only service, people here are taking the issue very seriously.
 

SCH117X

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Transdev Harrogate are reducing their flagship 36 service tomorrow from every 10 mins (Harrogate-Leeds), 20 mins (Ripon-Harrogate) to half hourly while the key urban "Route 1" service to Knaresborough drops from every 7 mins during daytime to every 20 mins. Many other services halved in frequency.
 

Hophead

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Today, Brighton & Hove have been forced to divert buses at both Brighton Marina & Shoreham-by-Sea due to......

Long queues at McDonalds drive-throughs! Drivers desperate for their last burger for a few weeks causing congestion on the roads outside.

And it looks like the company have some staff sickness leading to cancellations this evening - wonder if they can keep the Saturday service going all week?
 

overthewater

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The way things are going with the announcement tonight, they may will be cutting to a Special TT within days
 

alex397

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I don't think Stagecoach South East's timetable will last long - they are operating to Mon-Fri School Holiday schedules. Wouldn't be surprised to see a Sunday or skeleton service soon, but of course it takes time to organise the schedule.

I must admit, seeing mostly empty buses operate, with no traffic jams to contend with, is very tempting for a bus enthusiast to have a journey on! But it certainly isn't worth it to risk ending up fighting for a place in a hospital for a ventilator (or infecting other people). There have been many reports of bus enthusiasts and railway enthusiasts still venturing out to take pictures, congregating on rail platforms and travelling about just to try out new vehicles, which right now is totally irresponsible. I will be avoiding public transport for the foreseeable, as is the advice, unless I need to use it to get to work (currently working from home, but may get called in, as I work in education).
 

Baxenden Bank

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Transdev already have. Their Saturday timetables lasting just one day. Locally D & G have amended their website to say Monday 23 and Tuesday 24th (instead of Monday to Friday), so I expect some serious reductions from Wednesday onwards.

I had a bus trip locally last Friday, given the behaviour of the local idiots going into college just for the last day and their frivolous attitude to the whole situation, I quickly decided I didn't really want to be on the bus and would not be making any more journeys for sometime. Fortunately there are few cases locally so expect not to have caught anything. I can shop from home on foot, extending as necessary to get some exercise.
 

Volvo142

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In Derby, Arriva's service cuts from Monday 23rd March were pretty drastic....

Essentially no buses before 7AM and none after 7PM.

And a timetable which at best resembles a Sunday service, with some routes having up to a two hour gap in the middle of the day.

However, they've now issued an update, saying following customer feedback, a number of early morning services have been reinstated from Tuesday 24th.

Full details here: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/coronavirus ... -midlands/

(You'll need to select Derby from the available depots).
 

overthewater

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Many companies are bring forward service reductions over the next couple days instead of next monday., details to follow.
 

Andyh82

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Looking at bus loadings today (from my window I might add) on First WY & Arriva Yorkshire, passenger numbers during the middle of the day have amounted to 1 or 2 per bus, and these are double decks.

Unless the driver is being paid £4 per hour, this isn't even covering their costs, so they must be losing a fortune.

I'm wondering if more drastic service cuts should be made, not even a sunday service but maybe a maximum of one per hour or even less.
 

PTR 444

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Looking at bus loadings today (from my window I might add) on First WY & Arriva Yorkshire, passenger numbers during the middle of the day have amounted to 1 or 2 per bus, and these are double decks.

Unless the driver is being paid £4 per hour, this isn't even covering their costs, so they must be losing a fortune.

I'm wondering if more drastic service cuts should be made, not even a sunday service but maybe a maximum of one per hour or even less.

I reckon a bare minimum skeleton service should consist of something like a Christmas Day service but with additional routes running and peak hour journeys to cater for key workers. Anything that’s turn up and go (every 10 minutes or more) should be scaled back to 2 buses per hour while other services could go down to 1 or 0.5 buses per hour depending on where it serves. Hospital services I think should remain more or less the same (with reduced frequency) while any route primarily aimed at the tourist market or already served by another form of transport can get the chop for now while we deal with this crisis.
 
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Glenn1969

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TJ Walsh who have been around for 20 years go out of business after tomorrow. This is a real shame and will mark the end of an era in Halifax
 

Deerfold

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I reckon a bare minimum skeleton service should consist of something like a Christmas Day service but with additional routes running and peak hour journeys to cater for key workers. Anything that’s turn up and go (every 10 minutes or more) should be scaled back to 2 buses per hour while other services could go down to 1 or 0.5 buses per hour depending on where it serves. Hospital services I think should remain more or less the same (with reduced frequency) while any route primarily aimed at the tourist market or already served by another form of transport can get the chop for now while we deal with this crisis.

I'm not sure what you're meaning by "Christmas Day service" - most of the country doesn't have a Christmas Day service.
 
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