I doubt the minimum interchange times will change; it's only a temporary thing. No change is needed on the part of the journey planners; it would just need RDG to update the data. If people want to allow extra time for their journey, there are sites that let them do so, but this is best discussed in the Fare Advice and Policy section.
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Long term social distancing: Impact on public life & public transport?
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johnnychips
Established Member
I was surprised to see comments on here about using canal towpaths today; I would have expected to see them about a month ago. Yesterday I walked from Rotherham to Sheffield along the towpath. There were people walking, cycling, on houseboats, fishing, in [those blow -up things you can paddle that I can’t think the name of], even two people swimming, sitting on benches, smoking weed. Where the path was wider, people moved apart a bit, but quite often you had to pass them within less than one metre. But it was only for about two seconds. Even though I am in a slightly higher risk group (age 59), I do not feel concerned. I was probably in more danger crossing the road at the end of my walk, and more dangerous to others by jaywalking and causing a crash. People are generally poor at assessing risks.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Swimming in a canal? Rather them than me, they're filthy. If you want to open-water swim there are far better places than that.
Heard a snippet on the radio news:
One of the Focus's (can't remember which one) surveyed public transport users and found that two thirds would only be prepared to travel on it if face mask wearing were made compulsory.
Moderator note: please discuss the wearing of masks in the dedicated thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...s-to-be-encouraged-with-no-compulsion.203732/
One of the Focus's (can't remember which one) surveyed public transport users and found that two thirds would only be prepared to travel on it if face mask wearing were made compulsory.
Moderator note: please discuss the wearing of masks in the dedicated thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...s-to-be-encouraged-with-no-compulsion.203732/
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5 minutes in the canal, 5 hours of total social distancing achieved without you having to do anything; and no queue in the supermarket!
CaptainHaddock
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Growing safety concerns among public transport users – survey | ITV News
A Transport Focus poll indicated that 72% of people would not travel unless social distancing was in place, up from 62% two weeks ago. | ITV National News
What's wrong with these people? Why are they getting even more scared of going out in public when the number of new infections is declining rapidly?
Growing safety concerns among public transport users – survey | ITV News
A Transport Focus poll indicated that 72% of people would not travel unless social distancing was in place, up from 62% two weeks ago. | ITV National Newswww.itv.com
What's wrong with these people? Why are they getting even more scared of going out in public when the number of new infections is declining rapidly?
The public are a strange lot.
I can't really comprehend why such things are deemed dangerous by more people than a couple of weeks ago.
I can only assume it's a reaction to Government advice portraying road transport as the land of milk and honey, with a train carriage being tantamount to a holiday in a nuclear reactor.
The advice not change. It has been sinse before lockdown to avoid public transport. First for unessessary journey then only when no other way.
nlogax
Established Member
There's nothing 'wrong with these people'. They're just naturally cautious and and far more worried about catching this thing than many of us are...
A lot of people, I think, are only really now starting to confront the reality that they're going to have to go back to work/school, and therefore travelling, while the pandemic is still happening. A lot of the narrative in the early stages of this was very "lockdown for a few weeks, then it'll all be over." Now reality is sinking in that the disease is here for the long haul, I think it's likely that which is causing people to be more worried about travelling.Growing safety concerns among public transport users – survey | ITV News
A Transport Focus poll indicated that 72% of people would not travel unless social distancing was in place, up from 62% two weeks ago. | ITV National News
What's wrong with these people? Why are they getting even more scared of going out in public when the number of new infections is declining rapidly?
The overall advice and its context has changed.
One can now travel as far as one likes for the permitted reasons - explicitly by car, no mention of public transport.
Also, peoples perceptions of public transport seem to be hardening, at the same time that their general perceptions of being out and about are relaxing
This is noteworthy (and not in a good way).
Growing safety concerns among public transport users – survey | ITV News
A Transport Focus poll indicated that 72% of people would not travel unless social distancing was in place, up from 62% two weeks ago. | ITV National News
I notice that the survey percentages don't seem to include "don't knows". I wonder how much this affects the results.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's classic dodgy risk assessment. Look at how many people are afraid of flying.
nlogax
Established Member
I feel that certain aspects of social and traditional media are to blame for this. There's also lot of pessimism around these parts for the future of the rail industry, but I think it's patience that's required. Once non-essential train travel is given the official thumbs-up, the ebb of passengers back to trains which will - in time - demonstrate that train travel is actually fine and things will return to something approaching normal.
The airline industry, now that's something I truly worry about.
CaptainHaddock
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Interestingly airlines have been told that they can resume flying but don't have to maintain social distancing on planes "due to the confined space ".
See "new health standards" paragraph in this link.
Coronavirus: EasyJet passengers will be required to wear masks
The airline will restart a "small number" of routes in June and flyers must use masks.
www.bbc.co.uk
Which of course begs the obvious question of why trains and buses aren't exempt from social distancing measures too? Unlike planes at least you can open a window on a bus (and some trains)!
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Intersstingly airlines have been told that they can resume flying but don't have to maintain social distancing on planes "due to the confined space ".
See "new health standards" paragraph in this link.
Coronavirus: EasyJet passengers will be required to wear masks
The airline will restart a "small number" of routes in June and flyers must use masks.www.bbc.co.uk
Which of course begs the obvious question of why trains and buses aren't exempt from social distancing measures too? Unlike planes at least you can open a window on a bus (and some trains)!
Indeed. It will be unacceptable if people are allowed to gallivant around the world, but we can't catch a train to the seaside.
Bantamzen
Established Member
Funnily enough whilst walking the canal this weekend I noted that the water was actually exceptionally clear, you could quite clearly see the fish & plant life growing at the bottom. So maybe its a good time to canal swim before the barges start moving around again.
The airline industry will see a lot of changes, a lot of which are happening now. For example a lot of the 4 engine craft are being retired and replaced with the newer & more efficient craft such as the 787, A350, A321 LR/XLR. It will bounce back for sure, people like to travel and air travel will become very popular again. However it will probably see some casualties with the airlines with the more robust business models advancing into the void left by failing airlines.
Interestingly airlines have been told that they can resume flying but don't have to maintain social distancing on planes "due to the confined space ".
See "new health standards" paragraph in this link.
Coronavirus: EasyJet passengers will be required to wear masks
The airline will restart a "small number" of routes in June and flyers must use masks.www.bbc.co.uk
Which of course begs the obvious question of why trains and buses aren't exempt from social distancing measures too? Unlike planes at least you can open a window on a bus (and some trains)!
A lot of time and effort is being put into distancing measures on buses and trains, only for the government to potentially further relax measures in a couple of weeks or so. And once the likes of Easyjet start filling up their A320s with 180 paying punters, its going to be hard for bus companies to run around with capacities of a couple of dozen max.
As someone that’s worked and had a couple of weeks leave during the lockdown I think I’ve seen both sides.
I work in a lab it’s a large area but it’s noisy you have to approach people to communicate, A lot of the job involves viewing data on screens and discussing it... distancing is difficult/impossible. It does seem weird interacting with people after a week or so enforced distancing at the shops etc, however the feeling doesn’t last long and you almost immediately just carry on as normal. I’m sure most people will be the same and normality will quickly return
Data from the 2003 SARS outbreak in East Asia seems to show public transport usage returning pretty much to normal quite quickly, the inference being people have short memories. After all are the people saying they won’t use public transport also going to avoid the pub, gym, restaurants, theatres etc etc.
nlogax
Established Member
Everyone seems to forget that SARS was actually quite difficult to catch, certainly compared to C19.
Aye. I don’t think those sorts of details change the perception of risk for most of the public though. If anything SARS was much more virulent and for a lot of people CoV2 even if it’s more infectious than SARS the actual disease is viewed as unthreatening. The numbers of people out and about these last few days seems to back this up.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Have Sleasy climbed down from their original proposal of blocking the middle seat?
Ryanair of course won't, but I'd be quite happy to see Ryanair go away and never come back, it's a despicable organisation with a despicable person in charge of it. Chuck it in with Wetherspoons there.
nedchester
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I'm not fan of O'Leary but he's spot on about wanting to fill his planes. Otherwise his business model doesn't work (nor does it for other airlines)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I'd be more than happy for his business model to be shoved up his proverbial. It's based on misleading people and caning them for additional fees.
I have no problem with the low-cost yield-managed concept as done by easyJet, for example. But easyJet don't set out deliberately to catch people out.
cactustwirly
Established Member
I don't see the difference? easyJet still charge fees for literally everything, stuff like seat selection, luggage etc.
The only difference between them is the airport's they serve, Ryanair going for smaller cheaper airport's, and easyJet the bigger main airport's.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Ryanair's approach is much, much slyer - the underlying attitude is just different even though the business model is very similar.
I don't have an issue with the use of cheaper airports, but the way these are marketed is an example of that slyness. I wouldn't object if Ryanair for instance advertised Torp as the airport, with a suffix of "our nearest airport to Oslo", say[1], but the way they market these airports is clearly to get people to notice that it's cheaper than the main airport and only afterwards notice what a faff it is to get to.
But anyway, this is OT and I wans't really wanting to head it off onto a debate about airline business models, just pointing out that in my eyes a silver lining of the COVID cloud could be the end of O'Leary's mob
[1] Though I do think Stansted is taking the mick as a London airport.
xc170
Member
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Growing safety concerns among public transport users – survey | ITV News
A Transport Focus poll indicated that 72% of people would not travel unless social distancing was in place, up from 62% two weeks ago. | ITV National News
What's wrong with these people? Why are they getting even more scared of going out in public when the number of new infections is declining rapidly?
They're lazy. If they said they had no issue with using public transport then they would have to go back to work...
Killingworth
Established Member
Especially when the majority of bus and train journeys are for less than 30 minutes whereas the majority of flights require sitting in the sealed cabin for a much longer time.
Of course 30 minutes on a bus or train means passing lots more people as they all get on and off. Using somewhere like Kings Cross/St Pancras for the Underground brings the possibilty of very many opportunities to pass on infections.
Walking along canal paths sounds a much better option - but they rarely get you to work. In my case the Sheffield Canal once did, but it took a long time.
Let's hope so.
Bantamzen
Established Member
I'm honestly not sure, but if they've given up on the idea of social distancing then it makes no sense to do so. I expect the middle seat blocking will be quietly dropped.
I disagree, so long as you pay attention when booking you know exactly what you pay for. The problem is that people make assumptions on what they are getting instead of reading what's in front of them. I used them this time last year and had zero problems save the usual queue on the apron to board. But this is probably a subject for another thread.
Indeed, although its worth remembering that cabin air is replaced every 3 or so minutes, and the air that does get recycled in that time goes through high quality filters. Plus the airflow is from the ceiling to the floor, so the air in a modern cabin is probably the cleanest & safest going on any mode of transport.
Tube trains, especially deep tunnel stock is probably the worst type of transport right now. I never enjoy using the tube when travelling through London, and I can see why the cramped, humid conditions could be a source of spread. I think in the longer term London is going to have to rethink how it works, spreading working hours out & encouraging at least some home working every week.
I could actually walk almost the whole distance from my house to my office along the canal, the only slight issue is that it is around 13 miles each way. A little too much to be walking a marathon every day just to go to work. Of course I could buy a bike and cycle, and on a day like today it would be quite nice. However this is Yorkshire and we get a lot of days that are not nice, and canal tow paths can get pretty ugly around here when the rain tips down and the Aire Valley floods. But maybe I'll give it some consideration for the future as one option, although to be honest getting away to a nice holiday on the Med when we can is a bit higher up on the list at the moment (selfish I know, but after months of staring at the same walls I need it!).
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