- New restrictions on free travel for older people will come into force on 15th June and will apply to the morning peak only.
- "Touching in" is to be reintroduced across all bus routes. The maximum number of passengers per bus will be 20 (double deck), 10 (larger single deck), or 6 (smaller single deck).
- All passengers are reminded to only use public transport if absolutely essential and maintain two metres social distancing wherever possible.
Temporary suspension of Freedom Pass and 60+ Oystercard during morning peak
The London Councils website has provided an update and clarification about changes to the validity of Older Person’s Freedom Passes, 60+ Oyster photocards or English National Concessionary Scheme bus passes. The changes, being made at the behest of central government, come into effect on 15th June.
Changes to the ticketing system will mean these cards are automatically set not to be valid during the morning peak period (0430 to 0900) Monday to Friday. They will continue to be valid at all other times on weekdays and all day on weekends and Bank Holidays.
Passengers with a Disabled Freedom Pass are unaffected and will, as usual, still be able to travel at all times using their Pass if they have to use public transport for their journey.
Passengers are being advised, where possible, not to travel immediately after 0900 to help reduce potential crowding on buses and trains where effective capacity has been hugely reduced as a result of the requirement to observe two-metres social distancing wherever possible.
For more details and information about the background to the changes, see the London Councils website.
NB There is no change regarding use of Freedom Passes and 60+ Oystercards on National Rail services - they become valid at 09:30 (not 09:00, which applies to TfL services - tube, buses, Overground, trams).
Buses: Front-door boarding, touching in, and reduced capacities
Passengers are now required to touch in with either Oyster, contactless or concessionary cards on some 120 or so routes, in most cases using the front doors. Front-door boarding (and the requirement to touch in) will be gradually extended to all routes, probably by mid-June.
Bus capacities are being reduced to aid social distancing:
- Double-decker buses with multiple doors will have a capacity of 20 people. Drivers will have the discretion to allow up to 25 passengers, if households are travelling together
- Single-decker buses will have a capacity of between 6 and 10 people. Drivers will have the discretion to allow up to 7 or up to 14 passengers if households are travelling together, depending on the size of the bus.
Email update from Transport for London
From Saturday 30 May, 124 London bus routes will return to front-door boarding, and customers will be required to touch in with either Oyster, contactless or concessionary cards. Front door boarding will be reinstated on further bus routes as soon as possible, and it is anticipated that all London buses will have returned to front-door boarding by mid-June. You can check for updates on our website.
This change follows extensive work by a multidisciplinary team from University College of London (UCL), and close work between TfL, bus operators and the UNITE union. The UCL analysis finds that the steps that we have taken substantially reduces the risk to drivers of contracting coronavirus from customers.
Going back to pre-pandemic boarding will improve social distancing for customers entering or exiting the bus, and while queuing at stops or stations, as well as giving us accurate information to ensure we are providing the service needed to enable safe travel for all.
To further ensure the safety of everyone, new limits to the number of customers on board at any one time will be introduced. Please continue to make use of all available space, including the upper deck. You may need to wait for the next bus if the bus you are attempting to board has reached its safe capacity. We ask you to be considerate of our staff and follow their instructions. Wherever possible please avoid the busy times, 05.45 – 8.15 and 16.00 – 17.30.
In line with Government advice, everyone who can work from home should continue to do so. Please continue to avoid public transport, where possible, to free up the limited space available to those who have no alternative way to travel.
If you must travel, consider walking or cycling part of your journey, or getting off a stop or two early to reduce the numbers of people travelling.To ensure safer journeys for everyone, we are continuing to take measures across our network to enable social distancing of 2 metres, where possible. When using our services please wear a face covering and respect the space of fellow passengers.Thank you again for all your help as we work together to keep everyone safe.Yours sincerely,
Claire Mann
Director of Bus Operations
Links
Changes to the Freedom Pass scheme due to coronavirus
Freedom Pass information on TfL website
60+ Oyster Photocard information on TfL website
Bus service changes
Walking and cycling improvements - Streetspace for London
Note: This article was updated on 4th June to clarify information about morning peak hours.
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