(13 Mar 2020, 9:35 am)BusLoverMum wrote It's already clear that a lot of businesses are struggling already, before we have even reached a stage where travel is strictly limited and shops are shut but it also stands to reason that the pandemic is going to hit bus and coach companies particularly hard. I can't see smaller companies like Scarlet Band making it through to the other side but we already know that the likes of arriva and first bus are not doing all that well and I'm wondering if they would even survive the inevitable months of reduced usage, never mind the possibility of a few weeks of skeleton or even no services at all.

A lot of independents seem to be struggling, but I don't think that is particularly a recent thing. I guess it is going to impact some more than others, e.g. the ones that are reliant on excursion programmes for example. The schools contracts, I'd imagine, would pay regardless.

That being said though, this problem isn't going to be unique to the transport industry and there was a missed opportunity to put support in place during the budget on Wednesday.

A temporary relief on employer NI contributions may have been one thing that would have supported struggling businesses, but more transport specific, perhaps a temporary exemption on fuel duty? 

(13 Mar 2020, 1:17 pm)James101 wrote My company operates 4 restaurants in North Staffordshire with over 120 staff and thousands of customers every week. These are the steps I’m taking to protect those people. Call me sensationalist: 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_f...5475231636&id=442731423175043

Brilliant! Exactly what any business that has direct face-to-face contact with customers should be doing, if only to reassure people that they're doing everything they possibly can.

Although it didn't go anywhere near as far as this, LNER put a brief email statement out earlier. I don't think any of the bus operators up here have, but I did ask Arriva and Go North East earlier, only to be ignored.