Transport bosses urge Government to stop telling people to avoid trains and buses

"We have to get the economy moving again - people want to travel again and move again"

Imogen Braddick9 July 2020

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 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."

Transport groups want the messaging on public transport to be changed

REUTERS

He added: "If we’re revitalising the hospitality industry, then we want people to go on public transportation, we don’t want them getting in their cars and having congestion and air pollution.

“It was right at the time, but it is time now to move away from that messaging to something more that promotes the safe use of public transport.”

Latest figures show that road traffic has returned to 83 per cent of pre-lockdown levels, but train use across Britain and bus use outside London is at 16 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

Passenger watchdog Transport Focus has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urging him to review the Government’s communication strategy.

Bosses insist trains and buses are safe to use

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Chief executive Anthony Smith said: "It seems unfair that people who don’t have alternatives to public transport may be put off using it due to unclear or inconsistent messages.

"People need to be clear on whether they can or cannot use public transport.

"The Government and transport industry must urgently review the message it puts out."

FirstGroup is Britain’s largest bus company and also a major train operator.