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Transport leaders urge Government to change its messaging on avoiding trains and buses
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birchesgreen
Established Member
I seem to recall a poster mentioning that the guard on one train had shouted at people on the platform not to get on as it was "full" already. Though he was ignored and quite right too, how could you know that the next train would be any quieter (and would more likely be just as "full")? What were people supposed to do, sleep on the platform overnight until there is a quiet enough train?!
The legislation is for 12 months, reviewed no earlier than 6 months
Definite movement today to soften the message, the National Rail Enquiries and RDG Twitter feeds have both dropped the 'is your journey necessary' banner in their profile images, and the wording's been softened substantially on the popup when loading nationalrail.co.uk
Hasn't yet fully filtered down to TOCs yet (the GTR brands, for example, are still showing the 'is your journey necessary?' message on Twitter), but I'd be surprised if the remaining TOCs pushing a 'only travel if necessary/essential' narrative are still doing so by the end of the week.
Hasn't yet fully filtered down to TOCs yet (the GTR brands, for example, are still showing the 'is your journey necessary?' message on Twitter), but I'd be surprised if the remaining TOCs pushing a 'only travel if necessary/essential' narrative are still doing so by the end of the week.
The regulations actually state they must be reviewed “before the end of 6 months “
Same way the lockdown regulations needed to be reviewed every 3 weeks. Have you seen any of those reviews yet? I'm not remotely convinced that a press conference counts, as there were a lot of specific measures and none of the press conferences ever covered more than a small fraction of them.
Is it worth mentioning the Prevention Of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts? A 'temporary' measure in 1974 for at most one year, renewed every year, made permanent in 2000, still law today. At least in the 1980s there was a party that opposed it.
This was quietly dropped to 4 weeks a month or two ago I believe.
To be fair, changes have been roughly ever 3-4 weeks in terms of opening schools, then shops, then pubs. Who knows what's going to come next though. I have a feeling we may be getting to the point where we're going to have to live with this level of restrictions for a while yet sadly.
Indeed so (as they had the right to do, to be fair). That doesn't mean there shouldn't have been a report every 3 weeks at first. It's the same as the fact every one of these regulations is passed as 'too urgent to consult Parliament', even when they are blatantly no such thing. Parliament is effectively pointless now.
As the 6 month review falls during the MP’s long Christmas holidays, I would expect a junior civil servant to rubber stamp it. I think we’re stuck with this for years rather than months.
I suspect next spring, which I'd be very happy indeed to be wrong about if it was significantly sooner.
But it is rather impossible to say, because as there has been zero logic to introducing it, it is rather hard to judge what illogical reasoning will result in ending it (if ever).
The press conference wasn't the review it was just where they announced the review had taken place and the result. What did you expect? The reviews were never going to be held in public. If enough people thought they had not be carried out properly no doubt they could get together and request a judical review.
I noticed a poster for the first time today so I'm assuming it is new. It gives more detail of where to sit which boils down to sit together if you are from the same household but if your are on your own use the window seats not the aisle seats. To me this reads as expecting more passengers and hence being closer together but still trying to maintain a level of social distancing.
Greybeard33
Established Member
I watched the livestream of the Rail North Committee meeting this morning. The video can still be viewed at:
transportforthenorth.public-i.tv
.
Both local authority stakeholders and industry reps expressed considerable concern about the challenge of encouraging passengers back on to the railway, after the months of incessant messaging that public transport is unhealthy. One member expressed the view that it could take between two and ten years for patronage to recover to pre-Covid levels, with consequent dire repercussions on rail industry finances. A survey of potential passengers had reported that safety was the main issue, not cost or timetabling. Many people had said that they would not now use public transport even if it were free!
The industry reps said it would be difficult to get across the message that it is now safe to travel by train, as long as the official government guidance is still to consider all other forms of transport before using public transport.
TfN Rail North Committee 14-07-20 - Tuesday 14 July 2020, 11:00am - Transport for the North Webcasting
TfN Rail North Committee 14-07-20 - Tuesday 14 July 2020, 11:00am - Transport for the North Webcasting
transportforthenorth.public-i.tv
Both local authority stakeholders and industry reps expressed considerable concern about the challenge of encouraging passengers back on to the railway, after the months of incessant messaging that public transport is unhealthy. One member expressed the view that it could take between two and ten years for patronage to recover to pre-Covid levels, with consequent dire repercussions on rail industry finances. A survey of potential passengers had reported that safety was the main issue, not cost or timetabling. Many people had said that they would not now use public transport even if it were free!
The industry reps said it would be difficult to get across the message that it is now safe to travel by train, as long as the official government guidance is still to consider all other forms of transport before using public transport.
221129
Established Member
Expect a change of message imminently.
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
Hancock did his best in parliament earlier
clearly not been liaising with DfT
clearly not been liaising with DfT
The story attached to the twitter post:
Coronavirus: Public transport restrictions will be eased to get people back to work - report
The government is trying to boost the economy further by encouraging people to return to work instead of staying at home.news.sky.com
I watched the livestream of the Rail North Committee meeting this morning. The video can still be viewed at:
.TfN Rail North Committee 14-07-20 - Tuesday 14 July 2020, 11:00am - Transport for the North Webcasting
TfN Rail North Committee 14-07-20 - Tuesday 14 July 2020, 11:00am - Transport for the North Webcasting
Both local authority stakeholders and industry reps expressed considerable concern about the challenge of encouraging passengers back on to the railway, after the months of incessant messaging that public transport is unhealthy. One member expressed the view that it could take between two and ten years for patronage to recover to pre-Covid levels, with consequent dire repercussions on rail industry finances. A survey of potential passengers had reported that safety was the main issue, not cost or timetabling. Many people had said that they would not now use public transport even if it were free!
The industry reps said it would be difficult to get across the message that it is now safe to travel by train, as long as the official government guidance is still to consider all other forms of transport before using public transport.
Note to the industry representatives - a good step would be having a usable timetable west of Skipton.
In terms of returning to the office, tell it to my employer. They haven't let us in for three months.
Our trains off peak are now getting busy enough. What is still missing is the white collar commuters. Blue collar are there in droves on the routes they use but longer distance commuters - nope. I worked a train that normally loads to about 400 recently (not to London but to another big commuting city) - less than 20.
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
Weekly transport usage statistics released earlier by DofT show National Rail stubbornly stuck in 16-18% range for third week running. Interestingly the tube has had a modest increase weekly as have buses. As the data for Nat Rail is based on ticket sales I suspect its under recorded but even so the fact there is no weekly increase must by now have the treasury mandarins leaning on DofT to get the messaging changed.
221129
Established Member
The messaging changed today.
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
Argh i can see my local TOCs have watered down travel guidance but govt advice is still saying
Fortunately most people won't go hunting there for advice but it would help if the ad campaigning they are running about opening up society mentioned that using public transport isn't a sin.
Earlier today, I saw a three car class 170 on the 09.32 to Scarborough pass by Beverley North LC. It seemed all seats, as permitted by the distancing requirements, were in use, indeed the most numbers of passengers I’ve seen on a train since the pandemic began. Hopefully, with Northern having dropped the ‘Essential Travel Only’ message, things might be very slowly beginning to improve.
They won't do that, because if they have a picture of a packed 377/450 into London, or a standing room only victoria line in the press, that's going to make them look bad.
LNER have not blocked off any seats. You can sit in any unreserved seat but they ask you not to use isle seats.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
A typical example of a TFW Journey item today
TFW is going all out with social distancing and essential travel messages with no sign of any let up. It will be interesting to see what happens from August 3rd when pubs and restaurants open again.
I'm afraid I can't see any such announcement, was this something a minister said?
CaptainHaddock
Established Member
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EMR still have those posters plastered all over their stations. I wonder why they're so reluctant to take them down?
Not everywhere. 10 mins ago:
EMR - " EMR will continue to operate its advertised timetable to help key workers and those who must use public transport to travel to work and make other essential journeys. Everyone else should follow government advice and limit their travel."
Scotrail - "Do not travel unless your journey is absolutely necessary. ScotRail is playing a critical role during the Coronavirus crisis to provide transport for those who absolutely have to travel."
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