(17 Sep 2020, 7:50 pm)makem1 wrote Now we are in local lockdown and advised not to travel at peak will we still have dupes on the schools routes

(17 Sep 2020, 5:04 pm)streetdeckfan wrote 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

(17 Sep 2020, 5:04 pm)streetdeckfan wrote 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

(17 Sep 2020, 10:13 pm)James101 wrote Why would pubs be more dangerous than public transport?

(17 Sep 2020, 11:15 pm)Ambassador wrote On pubs, no. I’d say public transport is more dangerous. Higher use rate, absolutely zero enforcement of masks and minimal social distancing. I feel way more comfortable at my socially distanced local (now with table service) than I do on a bus or metro with no controls in a confined space,  I’d guess the only people on public transport right now are ones who have no other choice (or balmy enthusiasts)

(17 Sep 2020, 7:50 pm)makem1 wrote Now we are in local lockdown and advised not to travel at peak will we still have dupes on the schools routes

(18 Sep 2020, 10:28 pm)ne14ne1 wrote We’re not in local lockdown, there have just been additional restrictions implemented locally to try and prevent the need for a local lockdown.

Where have you read about being advised not to travel at peak times?
I’ve read, “Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work”.

Travel restrictions

You should follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the affected areas.

You must wear a face covering on public transport and in substantially enclosed areas of transport hubs in England (as well as in a range of other indoor premises). You will be breaking the law if you fail to do so and could be fined. Some people do not have to wear a face covering including for age, health, or disability reasons.

We advise that you should only travel for essential reasons when travelling into, within and out of the affected areas. We encourage you to walk or cycle where possible and to plan your journey in advance, avoiding busy times and routes if possible. Examples of essential travel include:

• to get to and from work
  
• to get essential food or medical supplies including click and collect services
  
• to support someone who is vulnerable, if no one else can do so
  
• to travel to and from the homes of others in your support bubble
  
• to attend an early years setting, school or college, or to accompany a child who is attending an early years setting, school, college or university where necessary
  
• to fulfil legal obligations
  
• to seek medical care, or avoid illness, injury or harm
  

(20 Sep 2020, 10:28 am)Metroline1511 wrote From the above list of "reasonable" purposes for using public transport, the one about visiting "homes of others in your support bubble" will not apply where socialising is discouraged or outlawed.

(26 Sep 2020, 4:20 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Blimey. That does not instil confidence at all.

The last Belmont bus I caught (1331) was pretty grubby but I put that down to the fact that it had probably been full of school kids a couple of hours previously. Now I'm wondering how long it really had been since it was cleaned properly.

(26 Sep 2020, 9:53 pm)Adrian wrote I think some are doing a lot more than others in terms of cleaning. I genuinely find GNE buses and the Metro to be a lot cleaner (at the start of the day), but there's always room for improvement too. For example, I've tried a couple of times to find the 'cleaning in between journeys', as described in this video.

But my concern having read the Northern Echo article, is that if a company cannot get it right for their staff, then what hope do we have of them getting it right for their customers? The fact that they couldn't confidently deny the allegations in response to the article speaks volumes for me.

(26 Sep 2020, 9:53 pm)Adrian wrote I think some are doing a lot more than others in terms of cleaning. I genuinely find GNE buses and the Metro to be a lot cleaner (at the start of the day), but there's always room for improvement too. For example, I've tried a couple of times to find the 'cleaning in between journeys', as described in this video.

But my concern having read the Northern Echo article, is that if a company cannot get it right for their staff, then what hope do we have of them getting it right for their customers? The fact that they couldn't confidently deny the allegations in response to the article speaks volumes for me.

(26 Sep 2020, 10:42 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I think it's also a bit disingenuous to put the blame on Arriva alone, if the drivers aren't sticking to social distancing and wearing masks where they should, that's on them just as much as it is on Arriva.
Sure, Arriva should be enforcing it, but at the end of the day, they shouldn't have to!

(26 Sep 2020, 10:48 pm)Adrian wrote Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

(27 Sep 2020, 10:58 am)Storx wrote If you believe that big companies are really doing anything for Covid then your having a laugh it's all just a smokescreen to look good. I've heard some rather damning reports about Morrisons from someone who works there in the sense of them bodging the number of staff who've caught the virus so they didn't have to shut the shop (this is in the middle of lockdown at the peak); deep cleaning the store and not actually doing anything at all after someone catching it and asking someone to come in 7 days after having the virus. This is from one of their largest stores in the North East (probably the biggest actually) so it's not some small secondary store they have.

Profits before safety any day of the week. It wouldn't surprise me if any of the big 3 are doing anything extra than what they should be doing normally (the Metro cleaning staff are actually doing something as usually it's questionable what they actually do) bar the occasional misting.

The fact that some are advertising that they're cleaning touch points daily now is quite disturbing - surely this should be done anyway...

(27 Sep 2020, 11:26 am)streetdeckfan wrote Actually, I've heard the complete opposite from Sainsburys, in one of their stores they went completely overboard. They were refusing entry for customers without a mask, even if they had a valid exemption, staff were given warnings for walking onto the shop floor without wearing a mask, staff are being told they need to bring in a medical exemption from their doctor if they can't wear a mask otherwise they have to wear one or risk losing their job.

(27 Sep 2020, 12:11 pm)Storx wrote tbf to Sainsburys they always did seem quite organised to give them credit - don't know anyone who works there tho so that's just from a customer perspective. It's the way it should be aswell imo. The other 3, not so much. Asda being by far the worst.

(27 Sep 2020, 12:45 pm)Adrian wrote As nice as they may be, supermarkets are not a form of public transport.

(27 Sep 2020, 1:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote I've said it before and I'll say it again. 
Until the general public start to see and witness the additional cleaning - people may not believe the PR or spin. Im not sure it is giving them any confidence at all or if it did, it is starting to diminish.

We've been told that cleaning is going on in places such as Eldon Square, but I'm unaware of any of the members on here actually seeing this extra cleaning.
We've been told that there's no cleaning at Heworth and there's definitely no cleaning at the likes of Market St, Houghton or Easington Lane. 

So where is this additional cleaning taking place and by whom? 

This is far from me saying that it's not happening in line with the promises being made, but unless the public see it - then articles like the one in the Northern Echo or coincidences of incidents happening along the route of the 4, will continue to happen.

(27 Sep 2020, 1:47 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Quite honestly, until I see some evidence from a third party that the cleaning is happening, I don't believe it is.
It's all well and good Dan or MG saying it's happening with a picture of someone standing with their spray bottle and a rag, but the fact that I've yet to see an independent source confirming it is quite concerning.

(27 Sep 2020, 4:01 pm)Ds1197 wrote I think I've only seen one driver on Newgate Street walking around a bus with a packet of anti bac wipes