(09 May 2020, 10:19 am)Andreos1 wrote Interesting comments. There's already been mention of the frequency on the Birtley Solos leading to potential crowding and I've seen it myself on the 4. 

If smaller vehicles are going to be used on the 4, then I do think that the 20/25 mins layover they get behind Lidl needs to be used in a more efficient manner.
A short run (to Woodstone Village or Lambton turning circle and back) would not only ensure the allocated resources are being used, but it would also assist with passengers being clumped together when loadings were higher. At minimal cost. 
That stretch has gone from 5x 4's and 2x 71's, to one bus an hour - with fewer seats.

Just picking up on this comment - the Streetlites actually have more seats than the Citaros. Aside from the fuel economy and low carbon certification, this was another reason for them being allocated.

I think the perception is often that they have fewer seats but they actually don't. The Citaros in particular have quite an unusual seating layout (especially the older ones that aren't used on the 4) which results in the number of seats being fewer.

(09 May 2020, 11:40 am)streetdeckfan wrote Issue is people just aren't trying to follow social distancing, at least on the buses I've been on.
I've been on the 49 a couple times and once it gets to Teams, even with the back of the bus empty, everyone just huddles together on the first few rows, sitting next to each other so you can't even walk up the aisle without physically touching them. It's not like you can even say they're in the same household as they get on at different stops. The older people sit right behind each other then turn around to they can talk, completely defeating the point of sitting apart.

Yes, I'd agree with this comment too. In the last fortnight or so I've taken up cycling in a bid to try and get a bit healthier and lose a bit of weight. In my experience of observing the buses I've seen whilst on my bike rides, I've often seen people sat together at the front of the bus leaving the back of the bus empty.

As far as I know there have been no reported 'overcrowding' issues on service 4 other than the one that Andreos1 reported. I do wonder whether it was a similar story where outside looking in, it appeared to be full, but when you actually see the bus stationary you can see that there are still plenty of seats closer to the back of the bus.

There are vinyls on the floors of the buses, there are posters around the cab area, in the poster holders, and the 'Next Stop' audio-visual TFT monitors (where buses are equipped with them) also show imagery around social distancing. You can lead a horse to water...