It has been truly heartening to observe the outstanding way the commercial bus industry has adapted to the unprecedented challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Faced with passenger demand falling off a cliff overnight when lockdown began on 23 March, operators moved quickly by immediately reducing timetables to around 40% of normal service levels despite no immediate guarantee of funding for the journeys which continued almost empty, but enabled essential workers to access employment and food shops.
Privatised bus companies have often been accused mischievously of putting profit before service, but here was an excellent example of the industry’s public service ethos coming to the fore at a time of national crisis.
As well as demonstrating trust that government would provide funding, operators showed further flexibility by changing timetables and adding journeys in response to feedback from those needing to travel, as well as cooperating with other bus companies to accept tickets and coordinate bus times where sensible in response to the easing of competition regulations. Close liaison with receptive local authorities also became the norm.
Unenviable task
Managers faced the unenviable task of fur…
