We can’t keep our distance on buses

McGill’s passengers packed like sardines, claims dad-of-two

A concerned bus passenger claims maintaining social distancing is impossible on his commute to work as the McGill’s bus is too small.

The dad- of- two is unable to work from home so has to travel by bus from Renfrew to his work as a manufacturing operator in Johnstone.

He uses the No22 service from Erskine to Paisley but for the last six weeks – since the lockdown began – the bus is often a smaller 22-seater bus.

He said: “When it arrives in Renfrew at 7am it’s often got about five people on it and as it goes through Renfrew a lot more get on.

“There are often about 12 people on it and sometimes people have to stand.

“The five seats around the driver are blocked off – the three on the side for wheelchair users and the double seat behind the driver – which leaves 16 seats available.

“There’s always a minimum of 12 people on the bus but it’s sometimes 18 or 19.

“I’ve seen three people standing at times.

“We’re packed in like a tin of sardines, you’ve got to sit next to people.”

The 43-year-old has spoken to his boss at work and has been able to move his start time to an hour earlier so he avoids the busy bus.

“I’m lucky because my boss has been quite understanding about this,” he said. “You see the same faces on the bus and we all think it’s ridiculous.

“We’ve asked the driver and he’s just said someone else has taken his bus so he’s had to use the smaller one.

“It’s been for the last six weeks, before that it was always one of the larger single deckers.

“The bus turns up and your heart sinks because there are so many people on it but you know you have to get it or you’ll be late for work.”

Since Monday, March 23,

McGill’s has been operating an emergency timetable meaning almost all services have continued to operate but most at half their normal frequency.

A spokesman for McGill’s Buses said: “The passenger numbers vary on this journey and the normal 38-seat bus was replaced with a smaller bus on four days.

“We are watching passenger numbers closely and using appropriately- sized buses to ensure capacity does not exceed 50 per cent.”