(23 Jun 2020, 10:43 am)Michael Boris on tonight announcing further places can open, such as cinema's and museums, dropping from 2m to 1m for social distancing, and how pubs will work.

(01 Jul 2020, 12:40 am)streetdeckfan So I was out and about earlier today, I used 2 GNE and 2 Arriva buses and not once was I questioned why I wasn't wearing a face covering. I thought drivers were supposed to at least ask you to wear one, even if they aren't enforcing it.

There were a lot of people who either weren't wearing the mask properly (ie. not covering the nose), took it off once they sat down, or pulled it down whenever they spoke, totally defeating the point of wearing one.

(01 Jul 2020, 7:51 pm)BusLoverMum Quite a few bus stop laybys have been infilled to increase the opportunities for social distancing for waiting passengers. This pRticular stop is problematic, at the best of times, often with 3 buses arriving at once. Arguably, it needs to be 2 bus stops but that would take a bit of planning and cost a fair bit. This, hopefully temporary solution isn't universally popular, though, as roads are back to almost normal levels of busyness.

New Covid-19 compliant Durham bus stop is an 'accident waiting to happen'

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/dvdv-18520596#ICID=Android_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare

(01 Jul 2020, 7:51 pm)BusLoverMum Quite a few bus stop laybys have been infilled to increase the opportunities for social distancing for waiting passengers. This pRticular stop is problematic, at the best of times, often with 3 buses arriving at once. Arguably, it needs to be 2 bus stops but that would take a bit of planning and cost a fair bit. This, hopefully temporary solution isn't universally popular, though, as roads are back to almost normal levels of busyness.

New Covid-19 compliant Durham bus stop is an 'accident waiting to happen'

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/dvdv-18520596#ICID=Android_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare

(01 Jul 2020, 12:40 am)streetdeckfan So I was out and about earlier today, I used 2 GNE and 2 Arriva buses and not once was I questioned why I wasn't wearing a face covering. I thought drivers were supposed to at least ask you to wear one, even if they aren't enforcing it.

There were a lot of people who either weren't wearing the mask properly (ie. not covering the nose), took it off once they sat down, or pulled it down whenever they spoke, totally defeating the point of wearing one.

(01 Jul 2020, 8:52 pm)James101 Just in time for social distancing to be reduced to 1M. Don't think I've ever been compelled to get within 1M of anyone at a bus stop of any type. What a waste of time.

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Meanwhile First Potteries have gone full bore on the mask front:

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/first-potteries-call-police-after-4277612

(01 Jul 2020, 9:39 pm)streetdeckfan Even before all this, I always went out of my way to make sure I was as far away from other people as physically possible!

The thing is, if the operators are saying that they are not going to be enforcing the rules, then what incentive do passengers have to follow them.
As I've said before, it is the LAW to wear a face covering on public transport, if you're not exempt from wearing one, then you shouldn't be allowed on board without one!
Drivers might not want to enforce it, but they'd have no issue asking someone to get off if they can't pay, so why is wearing a face covering any different?

I get that it's a pretty hard thing to enforce without proof of exemption, but drivers should at least try and make an effort, as I said, yesterday I got 4 buses and not once was I asked why I wasn't wearing one. When they first started requiring it, I used several buses without a mask and it wasn't questioned then either. 

If this is going to go on for the foreseeable, then maybe they need to look into some sort of scheme like the blue badge for parking

(01 Jul 2020, 10:03 pm)James101 What can the driver realistically do though?

’You should be wearing a mask’

’Nah you’re alright’, beeps pass, sits down.

Whole world of safety and liability issues if the driver is expected to leave the cab to deal with the passenger. Refuse to proceed and the ensuing disruption is greater than just allowing the passenger to ride. The police can take a week to follow up a burglary, good luck getting them to come out for an errant face covering.
 

Bet you’re over the moon you’ll finally be able to leave the house at the end of the month when the advice on shielding with those for severe asthma comes to an end.

(01 Jul 2020, 9:39 pm)streetdeckfan Even before all this, I always went out of my way to make sure I was as far away from other people as physically possible!

The thing is, if the operators are saying that they are not going to be enforcing the rules, then what incentive do passengers have to follow them.
As I've said before, it is the LAW to wear a face covering on public transport, if you're not exempt from wearing one, then you shouldn't be allowed on board without one!
Drivers might not want to enforce it, but they'd have no issue asking someone to get off if they can't pay, so why is wearing a face covering any different?

I get that it's a pretty hard thing to enforce without proof of exemption, but drivers should at least try and make an effort, as I said, yesterday I got 4 buses and not once was I asked why I wasn't wearing one. When they first started requiring it, I used several buses without a mask and it wasn't questioned then either. 

If this is going to go on for the foreseeable, then maybe they need to look into some sort of scheme like the blue badge for parking

(01 Jul 2020, 10:33 pm)streetdeckfan Well, for start they could actually bother asking them to wear a mask!
Seriously though, if they then respond saying they're exempt, the driver lets them sit down, if they feel comfortable asking why they're exempt, then they should.
If they respond "Nah, you're alright", the driver should say "It's the law to wear a face covering when using public transport, unless you're exempt I'm going to have to ask you to leave".
If they then proceed to sit down, they should follow the same policy they use when someone boards without paying (whether it's a case of 'get over it and move on', or report them the police).

My main issue isn't necessarily with the people not wearing the face coverings, but the fact they're picking and choosing which rules to enforce

I mean, my asthma isn't severe enough to be shielding, but bad enough where I can't breathe through a mask.
Although if I'm not mistaken, they can leave the house from the 6th July as they don't fall under the ones that need to keep shielding until the end of July

(01 Jul 2020, 8:08 pm)streetdeckfan Yeah, they've started doing it in Spennymoor and Bishop as well. Not so bad in Bishop where most of the traffic is buses anyway, but in Spennymoor, between filling in the stops and blocking off the parking bays, it's a complete nightmare!

(01 Jul 2020, 10:03 pm)James101 What can the driver realistically do though?

’You should be wearing a mask’

’Nah you’re alright’, beeps pass, sits down.

Whole world of safety and liability issues if the driver is expected to leave the cab to deal with the passenger. Refuse to proceed and the ensuing disruption is greater than just allowing the passenger to ride. The police can take a week to follow up a burglary, good luck getting them to come out for an errant face covering.
 

Bet you’re over the moon you’ll finally be able to leave the house at the end of the month when the advice on shielding with those for severe asthma comes to an end.

(01 Aug 2020, 5:57 pm)idiot Has The Foresters been confirmed?