North East Buses

I regularly see on Social Media that people are complaining about specific passengers, or groups of passengers, not wearing face coverings on public transport. You never know how this stacks up to the reality, as people are always quicker to complain than praise, so I was wondering how wide spread are people finding this in reality?
Do you feel it is a barrier to returning to regular public transport use (if you haven't already)?

One thing I've noticed from a number of operators now in response, is a claim that they *cannot* enforce the wearing of face coverings. I'm wondering why they think this, as the guidelines available from the Government, titled 'Safer Transport Guidance for Operators', seems to state otherwise.



This regulation is clear that operators do have the powers of enforcement, but also points out that they're not obliged to use those powers. So this isn't a case of *cannot* - it's a case of *will not*

(29 Aug 2020, 7:38 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]I regularly see on Social Media that people are complaining about specific passengers, or groups of passengers, not wearing face coverings on public transport. You never know how this stacks up to the reality, as people are always quicker to complain than praise, so I was wondering how wide spread are people finding this in reality?
Do you feel it is a barrier to returning to regular public transport use (if you haven't already)?

One thing I've noticed from a number of operators now in response, is a claim that they *cannot* enforce the wearing of face coverings. I'm wondering why they think this, as the guidelines available from the Government, titled 'Safer Transport Guidance for Operators', seems to state otherwise.



This regulation is clear that operators do have the powers of enforcement, but also points out that they're not obliged to use those powers. So this isn't a case of *cannot* - it's a case of *will not*

I made that very point a few months back on here and was basically told I was wrong

Basically, they're too scared to enforce it

(29 Aug 2020, 7:41 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I made that very point a few months back on here and was basically told I was wrong

Basically, they're too scared to enforce it

I don't know about scared, but certainly some operators have made a business decision not to enforce. That should be made clear in response to customers that direct complaints on this matter.

The law is clear that they have this power: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020...ion/5/made

(29 Aug 2020, 7:44 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]I don't know about scared, but certainly some operators have made a business decision not to enforce. That should be made clear in response to customers that direct complaints on this matter.

The law is clear that they have this power: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020...ion/5/made

I'd say they're more scared of the backlash from the drivers and unions if they decided to enforce it. 
Drivers on here have said they don't want the confrontation, but let's be real, if you don't like confrontation, then maybe a public facing job isn't right for you!

The business aspect is also obviously a decision, they're quite happy to enforce the rule about passengers paying to board, but enforce the law to wear a mask, nah, that's too much!

Even as someone who is medically exempt from wearing a mask, I still try and wear one as much as possible. If I'm on a double decker and I'm sat by myself upstairs, I'll take it off, but if someone comes up I'll put it back on. Unless it's too humid then I can barely breathe without the mask!

(29 Aug 2020, 7:48 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I'd say they're more scared of the backlash from the drivers and unions if they decided to enforce it. 
Drivers on here have said they don't want the confrontation, but let's be real, if you don't like confrontation, then maybe a public facing job isn't right for you!

The business aspect is also obviously a decision, they're quite happy to enforce the rule about passengers paying to board, but enforce the law to wear a mask, nah, that's too much!

Even as someone who is medically exempt from wearing a mask, I still try and wear one as much as possible. If I'm on a double decker and I'm sat by myself upstairs, I'll take it off, but if someone comes up I'll put it back on. Unless it's too humid then I can barely breathe without the mask!

Wasn't it more to do with kicking someone off the bus who has medical reasons and the legal implications behind it such as a court case and a criminal offense against the driver rather than an argument.

I wouldn't want to go there personally.

Right, so here we go again? One of the proposals for the regional lockdown is a return to essential journeys only on public transport. Of course, the defenition of essential is always rather fuzzy but for the time being we still have schools and workplaces open.

(16 Sep 2020, 6:50 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]Right, so here we go again? One of the proposals for the regional lockdown is a return to essential journeys only on public transport. Of course, the defenition of essential is always rather fuzzy but for the time being we still have schools and workplaces open.

Its not even public transport journeys that are the problem (apart from what has been said on the other thread, about social distancing). The cases seem to be coming from pubs, working mens clubs and schools. Yet in typical fashion, they target what isn't the problem. 

I'll leave it at this:

(16 Sep 2020, 7:00 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Its not even public transport journeys that are the problem (apart from what has been said on the other thread, about social distancing). The cases seem to be coming from pubs, working mens clubs and schools. Yet in typical fashion, they target what isn't the problem. 

I'll leave it at this:

I'm organising a get together with my mates. Gonna go dressed in hunting gear, stand on the moors and there's gonna be 20 of us. Police can't do a thing!

(16 Sep 2020, 7:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I'm organising a get together with my mates. Gonna go dressed in hunting gear, stand on the moors and there's gonna be 20 of us. Police can't do a thing!

Yeah, its fine to go out with a shotgun and shoot some innocent animals, but heaven forbid that you look after your grandkids for a morning.

(16 Sep 2020, 7:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I'm organising a get together with my mates. Gonna go dressed in hunting gear, stand on the moors and there's gonna be 20 of us. Police can't do a thing!

Don't forget your dogs, if you want people not to think you're merely minglin'.

I have a sneaky feeling a lot of people are going to simply ignore the restrictions this time, and with good reason.

The whole point of the lockdown was to give the NHS enough time to build capacity, they've done that so there should be no need for another lockdown.

They should close the pubs before they even think about restricting anything else. Pretty much every outbreak has involved drunks, so why penalise everyone else for what they've done!

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Hang on...

(16 Sep 2020, 7:57 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]Don't forget your dogs, if you want people not to think you're merely minglin'.

The best we can come up with is a neighbours chihuahua and a mates cockapoo.
As long as we put on pretendy tory voices and do lots of guffawing, I'm sure we will blend in just fine.

I had a bit of a moan about the politics side of the local lockdown in the politics thread, but as for the public transport side, judging by MG's Tweet, it doesn't look like there's going to be any restrictions on using public transport, or even advise against it like there has in other regions (which, if true, really does point towards it being politically motivated rather than by the science).

(17 Sep 2020, 12:20 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I had a bit of a moan about the politics side of the local lockdown in the politics thread, but as for the public transport side, judging by MG's Tweet, it doesn't look like there's going to be any restrictions on using public transport, or even advise against it like there has in other regions (which, if true, really does point towards it being politically motivated rather than by the science).

I was due to bring all of my support and admin teams back into the office next week after 6 months at home. The vast majority of them (around 110) rely on public transport - specifically buses to get them into our offices.

As the guidance now states public transport is only for essential travel only (which includes work) we've taken their views on a Teams call today and we'll be asking them all to continue working from home until further notice. 

I'm hearing similar things from my peers across businesses as well.

(17 Sep 2020, 4:51 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I was due to bring all of my support and admin teams back into the office next week after 6 months at home. The vast majority of them (around 110) rely on public transport - specifically buses to get them into our offices.

As the guidance now states public transport is only for essential travel only (which includes work) we've taken their views on a Teams call today and we'll be asking them all to continue working from home until further notice. 

I'm hearing similar things from my peers across businesses as well.

Good to see that you've taken the views of the staff into account, that seems very rare these days!

I personally don't see how they can say public transport is for essential travel only, yet still allow pubs to remain open. Surely there's a higher chance of catching COVID at a pub than their is getting the bus

Ive been to loads of pubs since they re opened and don't think I have/had covid. from experience i would have more chance of catching it at my local supermarket than at the pub due to the none social distancing that goes on there!

So if public Transport is not restricted it is just making a mockery of the whole lockdown. Nothing to stop someone getting the 24 from Durham to Hartlepool to have a longer night out ( although why anyone would come here is a different matter and they might have trouble getting back) or jumping on the X10 from Gateshead into Middlesbrough or even people going into Darlington from Bishop Auckland on the 1. If it really about controlling the spread then all they doing is just tempting people to spread it about in other areas which are already struggling to keep the numbers down.

Extract from an email I've had tonight from the DCC Chief Execs office -



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Now we are in local lockdown and advised not to travel at peak will we still have dupes on the schools routes