The Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that anybody may now use public transport.
The change in messaging comes after several months of members of the public being urged to only use public transport if it is essential, in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement on Friday, Boris Johnson said: “So in England, from today we are making clear that anybody may use public transport, while of course encouraging people to consider alternative means of transport where they are available.”
In response, Robert Nisbet, Director of Nations and Regions at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The railway is vital to economic recovery and train companies will play their part by helping people travel safely. As part of our safer travel pledge we are adding more trains, improving journey information and boosting cleaning, while asking passengers to travel at quieter times and wear a face covering.”
TfL’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, said: “Life in London is more reliant on public transport than any other part of the country and, as Government restrictions are gradually eased, we will play our part in the economic recovery by providing safe, clean and reliable transport.
“More people are returning to public transport every day and we have made sure that stations, Tubes and buses are cleaner than ever by using hospital-grade disinfectant, intensifying our cleaning regime and making over 1,000 hand sanitiser stations available for use.
“We are grateful that the overwhelming majority of passengers are looking out for each other and complying with the requirement to wear a face covering for the full duration of their journeys. Police and our enforcement teams are taking steps to ensure that everyone does so. And, of course, customers should continue to wash their hands before and after journeys.
“We are now running near-normal levels of services, but the need to maintain social distancing wherever possible means that we do ask customers to travel outside the busier times. We are providing the information customers need on when the quieter times are for their journeys. We are working to make travelling more comfortable for everyone by spreading demand outside the old rush hour and distributing it more evenly across the day. And we continue to work with businesses to make that happen and to support their recovery and that of London’s shops, attractions, pubs and restaurants.
“In partnership with London’s boroughs, we will also continue to deliver the Mayor’s ambitious StreetSpace programme to provide walking and cycling facilities across the Capital to offer more options for active travel.
“What is clear to me is that the current situation is unsustainable – we must avoid a car-led recovery which would cause gridlock and only make things worse. So my message to Londoners returning to public transport is we are doing everything to keep things clean and safe for everyone. We are here to help.”
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “This is good news for people who want to catch a bus, train or tram in England. The message for England is clear: you can now use public transport, but you must still wear a face covering unless exempt, follow the rules on social distancing and avoid the busiest times if you can.
“As the economy reopens and people start thinking about travelling again, it is important to be clear that you can now use public transport even if you have an alternative. However, big hurdles remain before there is a mass return to office working, as our research shows: people have got used to working from home, still have concerns about safety and the price might still put them off.”
As lockdown restrictions are eased and many people start to move around again, a shift to more positive messaging on public transport is being strongly welcomed by sustainable transport charities. The alliance of eight organisations is underlining the importance of sustainable transport to our communities, and our ability to create a more sustainable, healthy, inclusive future.
Darren Shirley, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “A careful return to public transport, alongside walking, cycling and shared transport, will be essential to avoiding congestion and high levels of pollution as more of us begin to head back to high streets and offices. A third of people don’t have access to a car, so public transport is also essential to rebuilding the economy in a way that does not leave people behind.”
Bill Freeman, Chief Executive, Community Transport Association, said: “Many people rely on community transport services as the only means of getting around. Reinstating these services will support people who cannot drive or access mainstream passenger transport to come of out lockdown in a safe and sustainable way, which will help our communities recover as well as the economy.”
Jools Townsend, Chief Executive, Community Rail Network, said: “Trains, buses and community and shared transport have continued to provide for our communities through the pandemic, and they’re incredibly important to our future too. These sustainable modes of travel can help us achieve a green and inclusive recovery, benefitting our communities, health and wellbeing, and our climate.”
Stephen Edwards, Director of Policy and Communications, Living Streets, said: “It is essential that our national recovery from COVID-19 is built around sustainable transport and not car-led. There are huge benefits on offer to our individual health and air quality by enabling everyone to make their everyday journeys in a healthy, environmentally positive way. Walking and cycling working in lockstep with public and shared transport should be at the heart of this.”
Richard Dilks, Chief Executive, CoMoUK, said: “Before Covid-19, shared transport provision and use was at an all-time high in Britain. As lockdown eases, shared transport such as car clubs and bike share schemes can once again help people move around sustainably in conjunction with public transport and help them avoid owning and using private cars.”
Steve Brooks, Executive Director for External Affairs at the walking and cycling charity Sustrans said: “Many of us will use different transport for single journeys, combining a bus trip with a short walk. If we want to avoid clogging our streets with traffic and encouraging more people to walk or cycle everyday journeys, then we need to safely re-open public transport.”
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