(09 May 2020, 7:45 am)Dan wrote If social distancing is still maintained (to the best it can be on a bus (let's face it, it's more or less impossible to sit 2m apart when the largest double-decks are only 2.5m in width, which is why the DfT guidance is for buses to be no more than 50% full), then I don't see the issue in running smaller buses to help mitigate some of the losses of running these lifeline services.
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.
I had the exact same experience on the Arriva 6, someone got on at ASDA with all their shopping, sat in the wheelchair bay and started chatting with the lady in the first row seat. There was someone sat in every row at the front, with one person sitting past the steps
Without sounding too disrespectful (when has that every stopped me!) it seems to only be poorer people who are just blatantly ignoring the rules, the people who are most likely to still be travelling by bus.