(21 Mar 2020, 2:43 pm)6049 wrote There's already around 10-15% of drivers isolating or on the sick for other reasons at my depot. Not to mention those on holiday etc.
I was sent a snapchat recently of what would normally be a busy service at around 11am and there was one person on the bus - it was on time and it wasn't following another either. Passenger numbers have plummeted - as they frankly should have given the advice.
Now the scenario facing us is that GNE (and other operators) could turn round and try to operate business as normal with these reduced numbers - having everything running round near empty. This is not economical and also leaves the very likely prospect of key workers standing waiting for a scheduled bus in a few weeks time, when we hit the peak, that doesn't show as the driver is in isolation. Customer complains etc etc. Or they preempt the situation, reduce to a key, core service which can be maintained by a smaller number of staff, so in the event that they do lose a significant number, they have a better chance.
I think a lot of what you said there, essentially reinforces a lot of what I said.
The 'peaks' will still be the peaks. There's still going to be services in that period, carrying the most loads.
If a big proportion of passengers who would normally travel between 0930 and 1430 are cooped up at home and those from 1430 - 1630 aren't at school or college, is there really the need to have a significant proportion of resource, allocated to that period?