"Plan ahead" plea to public transport travellers as lockdown eases further

Transport bosses said standing remained banned and some seats may be unavailable under ongoing restrictions to counter the spread of coronavirus.

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive said most routes were back to normal but urged people to check timetables before travelling.

Tim Taylor, SYPTE’s director of customer services, said: “The majority of South Yorkshire’s public transport services are now back to normal, operating to pre-pandemic timetables.

“From Monday, bus operators, in agreement with the Department for Transport, are making front facing seats available to passengers to increase capacity on board.

“Rear facing seats, face-to-face seating and seats nearest the driver may still be unavailable and standing is not permitted. 

“As restrictions ease, allowing more people to come together, we expect that more people will be travelling to see friends and family, eat out, see a film or shop.

“This means public transport will be busier.

“The changes that bus operators are introducing will help to increase capacity, making it easier for passengers to get on a bus and ensure people across South Yorkshire can get to where they need to be.

“The changes being made by bus operators will also mean passengers may find they need to sit next to someone on board.

“Everyone must keep following Government travel advice so we can all travel as safely as possible. 

“Please plan ahead and check before you travel, avoiding busy times and routes if you can.

“When using public transport keep a safe distance wherever possible, regularly sanitise your hands and wear a face covering, unless you’re exempt.

“And, if possible, on buses keep windows open to increase ventilation.”    

SYPTE said operators had stringent procedures in place to keep vehicles clean, with extra focus on common areas of customer contact.

Specific measures include increased cleaning frequency of all grab rails and poles, entrance door handles and window ledges.

Focused cleaning regimes also continue at all Travel South Yorkshire Interchanges, the transport body said, including ensuring doors, handrails, lifts and ticket machines remain disinfected.

 Visit travelsouthyorkshire.com to for travel updates and to plan your journey. Customers can also use operators’ online tools and apps to check how busy their bus is.