Staying safe for every mile of every journey

As the world gets itself back on the road in this era of ‘the new normal’, staying safe is still front and centre among passengers’ minds when it comes to travel.

After months spent in lockdown, people are once again booking trips and excursions to all corners of the UK and beyond, but there’s a caveat to it all: Covid hasn’t simply gone away.

It’s still around and on people’s minds, affecting what they do and how they choose to do it. So, like everyone else, coach tour operators and travel companies have had to adapt. While Covid measures change nationally, travel and tour operators are keeping strict safety protocols in place. However, it’s thanks to these safety measures that more and more people are feeling confident enough to travel and enjoy the benefits of getting out and about.

Confidence in coach travel in the UK increasing

In a recent survey*, figures suggested that retaining this robust approach to safety is having a positive effect on passengers and their confidence. In February 2022, users of bus travel outside London increased from just over 5% to 12% in the space of a week and, when asked, 9 in 10 passengers travelling by bus said that they felt safe doing so. Passengers are happy to see Covid safety measures in place as they travel, with the majority who used a train or a bus during that seven-day period saying that they wore a face covering all the time on their journey.

These trends ring true across other forms of public transport too. Transport for London (TfL) reported in February that following the last of the major Covid restrictions being lifted in the UK, Tube and bus journeys were up by around 60% and 50%, respectively, of pre-pandemic levels**.

As with coach travel, this confidence in public transport is boosted by public awareness of the Covid safety travel regulations that TfL have in place. Face coverings remain mandatory on any TfL service or in any TfL station as a condition of carriage, unless individual passengers are exempt for health reasons. Those who do not comply could be prevented from getting on the bus, Tube or another form of transport, or asked to leave TfL services altogether. TfL’s enhanced cleaning regime ensures that stations, buses, trams, and trains are all cleaned with hospital-grade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact and provide ongoing protection.

Keeping everyone safe on the road

At Readybus we work hard to ensure our passengers are kept safe and healthy and are able to enjoy their travels free of worry. We’re proud to have been certified as ‘Good To Go’ by coach travel industry standards, and our rigorous pandemic-proof measures are in place to ensure passengers can relax and feel safe on the road. Informed by the latest rules and regulations for the travel industry as laid down by the government, along with guidance from public health authorities, we’ve been working to ensure that high levels of safety and hygiene have been successfully maintained across our tour bus fleet since the pandemic began in 2020.

Some of our Covid-safe coach travel initiatives include:

  • All employees will be temperature checked before the start of every shift

  • All employees will be encouraged to wash their hands regularly during their shift, and where hand washing is not possible, hand sanitiser is available in all of our vehicles for drivers and passengers

  • All vehicles are fitted with PEPA-F antiviral filters

  • Increased cleaning of our vehicles includes a daily deep clean of the driver's area and objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, such as buttons to open doors, door handles, handrails, locker handles, armrests, headrests, seatbelts, tables, hard floors and vehicle keys

  • In addition to daily manual cleaning, all of our vehicles receive a fogging sanitisation at the beginning and the end of each day. This ensures that disinfectant is comprehensively delivered across the whole vehicle, resulting in a higher efficiency of disinfection

  • Passengers are encouraged to wear face coverings, and to wash/sanitise their hands before boarding

This is just a small sample of the things we’re doing every day to keep our coach travel services Covid safe for passengers and staff alike. YIf you have any questions before or during your journey with us, then we’re only too happy to answer them for you. Get in touch with Readybus today by emailing us at info@readybus.com, or call 0800 587 4066. No matter where you want to go, you can be sure of a safe journey with us. *Source: Travel During Covid-19 tracking research, Travel in Focus (Feb 2022)

** Source: Transport for London (Feb 2022)