Public transport -"essential travel only" replaced with "no staying away"?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Looks like today's update means it's illegal to stay away from home ... but not (no longer) illegal to use public transport for none-essential purposes.   Have I read this right?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/2020-06-01

Restrictions on movement
[F176.—(1) No person may, without reasonable excuse, stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living.

Last minute (stop press) for Tuesday Club ... I have 55 minutes to read up.

Tuesday Club passcode at http://www.passenger.chat/23539

[grahame]

Further update ... from The Times

Public transport is likely to be opened up to thousands more passengers under government plans to drop official advice warning them to stay away.

Ministers are preparing to tone down warnings over the use of trains and buses amid criticism from operators and backbench MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) that too many services are running empty.

The Times has learnt that the government will monitor use of public transport over the weekend and early next week before possibly abandoning the approach it has maintained since March. Over the past three months commuters have been told to use other forms of transport with buses and trains only used for essential journeys.

[IndustryInsider]

Now is as good a time as any I suppose?  I don't expect there to be a massive surge in the peaks as a result, though weekend travel may face quite a strain on holiday routes.

[grahame]

From The Standard

Transport bosses have urged the Government to stop encouraging people to avoid trains and buses.

Matthew Gregory, chief executive of transport giant FirstGroup, said it is time to "move away" from telling passengers not to use public transport for non-essential journeys.

Despite coronavirus lockdown restrictions easing in recent weeks, the Department for Transport continues to tell people to "avoid public transport if they can" amid the pandemic.

"Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport and I think with that we can change the message to the fact that public transportation is safe," Mr Gregory told the PA^▸ (Public Address) news agency.

"We’ve enhanced the cleaning, we’ve enhanced the disinfectant, we’ve dealt with social distancing properly to try and avoid crowding.

"We’ve made this case to Government to start moving away from that avoiding public transport (message) because we have to get the economy moving again, people want to travel again and move again."

[grahame]

From the Mail Online

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s biggest bus company and rail operator has urged the Government to stop deterring people from using public transport to get them back into shops, pubs, restaurants and offices.

FirstGroup chief executive Matthew Gregory said it is time to 'move away' from appealing to passengers not to use trains and buses for non-essential journeys.

With people required to wear face coverings on public transport, he called on the Government to 'change the message to the fact that public transportation is safe'.

Rishi Sunak's attempts to kick start the UK's cobweb-covered economy could be derailed by inconsistent messaging as the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) continues to insist that people keep away from public transport.

Government guidelines still state those that can work from home should continue to do so, even as cafes and retail stores warn it is strangling their business and lay-off thousands due to the absence of white-collar employees.

Train and bus journeys are languishing at 49 per cent below pre-lockdown levels, data from Apple suggests, while driving is just seven per cent lower.

Raising the possibility of people being encouraged back onto buses and trains, a DfT spokeman today told MailOnline their advice on public transport is under 'continual review'.

[LiskeardRich]

The damage is already done. Unless a counter promo is run to demonstrate the safety of rail and bus travel

[eightf48544]

The damage is already done. Unless a counter promo is run to demonstrate the safety of rail and bus travel

I'm wanting to go to Maidenhead without driving. 3 choices Walk 5 mile round trip, Crossrail 2TPH 10 minute walk to station 4 or less minute journey. Bus mostly 2 per hour !0 minutes (Free).

Before Corvid if was mostly bus, but last time I walked. Quite hard after lockdown although it is mostly flat along the A4.

I suppose I could cycle but bike needs overhaul.

[LiskeardRich]

The damage is already done. Unless a counter promo is run to demonstrate the safety of rail and bus travel

I'm wanting to go to Maidenhead without driving. 3 choices Walk 5 mile round trip, Crossrail 2TPH 10 minute walk to station 4 or less minute journey. Bus mostly 2 per hour !0 minutes (Free).

Before Corvid if was mostly bus, but last time I walked. Quite hard after lockdown although it is mostly flat along the A4.

I suppose I could cycle but bike needs overhaul.

As a driver I’m incredibly proud how clean my company have kept our buses lately. We’ve got cleaners based at every bus station and touch points are cleaned down every time the buses visit those bus stations. I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage friends and family. Distancing provisions in place. I can’t speak for other operators, but If they’re doing as good as my employer on processes I’d encourage you to try the bus

[CyclingSid]

Well the idea is that we should be heading back into the office:
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-return-to-work-shift-government-coronavirus-strategy-526850
on the same page in the print edition the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) is repeating the same policy for public transport since the start of lockdown, don't use it.
Simon Calder has the same view as some here:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/trains-rail-department-transport-waterloo-station-passengers-a9612236.html

[Bob_Blakey]

.....Before Corvid...

In addition to a quite nasty virus are we now being attacked by an assortment of crows, ravens, rooks, etc which have been persuaded to follow Alfred Hitchcock's social media promptings? 

[Marlburian]

I'm thinking of a trip from Tilehurst into Reading later this week and am still hesitating about taking the train. I'm less hesitant about going the other way to Pangbourne, especially if I catch an early train. Only small snag is timing things so I catch the hourly service back - in days of yore it was easier with the half-hourly service.

Just glanced at times and I note that were I to want to go into Reading in the early evening and just missed the 1858, the timetable suggests that I could dash over to platform 3 and catch the 1901 to Didcot and return through Tilehurst on a fast train, arriving at Reading at 1947, though I would haveto  pay an extra tenner. Or I could dally on Tilehurst Station until 1952 and  get to Reading at 1957. (Or I could take a bus.)

[CyclingSid]

Did I see a sign at Reading station saying all IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) passengers must book a seat. If so, there was nothing on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website or National Rail (unlike Cross Country) when I looked.

[IndustryInsider]

Did I see a sign at Reading station saying all IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) passengers must book a seat. If so, there was nothing on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website or National Rail (unlike Cross Country) when I looked.

I think you must book a seat to guarantee travelling on that train, otherwise if it is 'full up' you can be prevented from boarding.

[bobm]

Looks like today's 12 noon from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington has capacity problems.   However, assuming not all of first class has been reclassified, the screens don't indicate which coaches it applies to.

[TaplowGreen]

Looks like today's 12 noon from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington has capacity problems.   However, assuming not all of first class has been reclassified, the screens don't indicate which coaches it applies to.

Why are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) allowing trains to become so overcrowded in the current circumstances?