Coronavirus - COVID19: Service information

Support for disabled passengers remains the same as before coronavirus, see here for more details ⇒

We offer our full support to wheelchair users who want to travel with us.  While many of our seats are blocked with signs or tape, our wheelchair spaces remain available. All our buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair users. Please ask the driver for assistance if you require any help. If the driver needs to leave their cab to provide passenger assistance they will wear a face covering.

Wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely.

• If the ramp is required please keep a 2 metre distance whilst the driver puts the ramp in place.
• The driver will keep the time they are within 2 metres of you to an absolute minimum.

No, customers should use their own sanitiser and face covering.

Please see the government advice on using and making a face covering:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering.

There is usually sufficient capacity on our buses but it's best to plan your travel in advance. Our busiest periods are in the middle of the day, so it is best to travel in the morning and late afternoon. This will help ensure we provide our services to as many customers and key workers as possible while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

We also advise that you try to travel before the last service of the day, to avoid the risk of the last service bus being full. We will not be able to run extra buses after the last service bus.

On our buses we are operating at a reduced capacity with around 1 in 2 seats being available. It is therefore possible that that you might see ‘Bus Full’ signs as some services reach their revised capacity more quickly.

If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past, it is likely it has reached its reduced seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so you may need to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait. With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

We advise that you try to travel before the last service of the day, to avoid the risk of the last service bus being full. We will not be able to run extra buses after the last service bus, and you may have to arrange alternative transport.

Yes, we are and there is no government advice currently to stop accepting cash, but please try to use the exact fare. However, we encourage all of our customers to buy tickets using the First Bus App or to pay by contactless card when boarding.

Yes, and with operators and customers working together we will provide a bus network, that is safe and allows everyone to complete their journeys. In line with UK Government advice, we are continuing with the systematic daily deep cleaning of our vehicles and facilities and screens are fitted to all cabs, separating drivers from passengers. Drivers also have access to gloves and hand sanitiser and all staff are encouraged to wash their hands regularly.

To help with this we are asking our customers to:

• Wear a face covering when on board (unless you meet the exemption criteria set by the government)
• Please be aware of others who may have a priority need to travel
• Look out for ‘Bus full due to social distancing’ messages on the destination display, which means the bus might not stop
• Be prepared to allow extra time or waiting to complete your journey

In order to maintain social distancing between our customers, and in accordance with Government guidance, we will only be able to allow 1 in 2 passengers compared to our usual capacity on each bus. This means there is some chance that not all passengers will be able to board the first bus that arrives.

Public Health England suggests the risk of infection increases the closer you are to another person with the virus and the amount of time you spend in close contact: you are very unlikely to be infected from just walking past another person.

There may be situations where you can’t keep a suitable distance from people, for example when boarding or alighting, on busier services, at busier times of day and when walking through interchanges. In these cases, you should avoid physical contact, try to face away from other people, and keep the time you spend near others as short as possible. If you can, wear a face covering on public transport.

Be aware of the surfaces you touch. Be careful not to touch your face. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing.

Treat transport staff with respect and follow instructions from your transport operator. This may include notices about which seats to use or how to queue and additional screens, barriers or floor markings.

Help to keep yourself, other passengers and transport staff safe by waiting for passengers to get off first before you board, maintaining social distancing, be prepared to queue or wait for the next service if you cannot safely keep your distance on board.

Please respect other peoples' space while travelling and avoid consuming food and drink on public transport, where possible.

Be aware of other customers who may need the seat or extra space more than you such as pregnant, older and disabled people.

No, but we have made changes to prioritise our service network around the needs of key workers.

Passengers should follow Government guidance and leave extra time for their journeys.

In England it is now mandatory to wear a face covering on Public Transport unless you have an exemption. Failure to do so may result in a fixed penalty notice of £200 (reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days). To see the government guidance on face covering exemptions please follow this link ⇒

• Please remember to bring a face covering or mask for your journey, it needs to fit well and cover your mouth and nose.
• Put your face covering on before boarding the bus.  
• If you have an exemption and you are unable to wear a face covering please be prepared to inform the driver or show an Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card).
• Please take your face covering with you at the end of your journey.

Our drivers have face masks but may not be wearing a face covering or mask while driving as this can be distracting. And for those who wear glasses there is a risk these get steamed up while driving. The cab has a protective screen to separate the driver and passengers.

Our drivers have to leave their cab when helping vulnerable customers and so are following the advice to wear a face covering as they are now in an open area of the bus and briefly in closer contact with the passenger.

Our drivers will advise customers wherever possible but they cannot enforce social distancing measures.

Please note the seating measures we have introduced are advisory for customers and we will not be asking our drivers to enforce them or leave their cab area, unless operating the manual bus ramp. Our driver will help advise customers when boarding where seats are available.

Social distancing measures mean that we have had to reduce the capacities on our buses; effectively to 50% of previous capacities.  It is likely that, as these new capacities are first introduced, not all passengers will be able to board the first bus that arrives.  You might see 'Bus full due to social distancing’ messages on the destination display, which means the bus may not stop.

We are asking customers with a pushchair or buggy to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair or with restricted mobility. This may mean that you have to leave extra time or wait to complete your journey.

We are asking customers to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair and will do all we can to prioritise access to the wheelchair space for a wheelchair user.

We have a new feature on our First Bus app which gives wheelchair users live updates that show if the wheelchair space is available on buses nearby and helps them plan their journey.

Yes, we were one of the first bus operators to do this and we have made hand sanitiser products and gloves available for all staff.

Government advice is that people shouldn’t travel if they are suffering from coronavirus symptoms including a persistent cough or high temperature and should follow public health guidelines.

Exemptions for the use of face coverings will apply to those with certain health conditions, disabled people and children under the age of 11 (in England and Wales). Children under the age of 3 should not wear face coverings. To see the government guidance on face covering exemptions please follow this link - England

It is your legal responsibility to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport unless you have an exemption. The driver cannot enforce this but you may be liable to a fixed penalty notice of up to £200 in England (reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days).

Where air conditioning systems are used on our buses, they draw on air from the outside, so keeping a constant fresh flow of air circulating through the vehicle and are a further way to help keep bus travel safe.

We’re following Govt guidance to increase ventilation in enclosed spaces; unfortunately this applies come rain or shine. Fresh air flow helps keep bus travel safe during the pandemic and we’re grateful to everyone for supporting measures we’re taking to look after each other.