Reconnection of key communities on the buses
ational Express and Megabus will resume their services this week as daily life slowly begins to open up again.
Megabus will be restarting part of its network from July 3 on the eve of Super Saturday.
Revised networks will restart to serve key communities across England including London, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Norwich, with connections to many other places.
Additional safety measures have been put in place to make sure that megabus services are Covid-19 secure.
Megabus, part of the Stagecoach Group, has been carrying out extensive research with its customers on how they plan to use services in the future, with the majority of people saying they wanted to visit friends and family or take short breaks or holidays in the UK. More than 75 per cent of people said they wanted to book a Megabus trip immediately or within the near future.
Megabus managing director Mark Venables said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be getting our coaches back on the road, helping to connect people with friends and family, as well as taking people across the country for staycations and day trips.
“With the extra safety measures we have to make sure that our services are COVID-19 secure, and with customers following all the government guidance in place, people can have confidence in travelling with us.
“The timetable we are putting in place will provide access to key cities and towns right across the country. Due to social distancing, there will be reduced capacity on coaches, so we’d urge people to plan ahead and book their journey with us early.
“Public transport will continue to play a crucial role in the country’s recovery ahead.
“As well as helping to restart our economy, it is vital in bringing normality back to many areas of our daily lives, keeping families and
Ncommunities connected and contributing towards a safer, cleaner and healthier nation.”
Megabus services were suspended in April, following the government’s advice to stay at home. A reduced network will start to operate from July 3.
Meanwhile, National Express coaches return to the roads on July 1 following an 86-day break.
The UK’s largest coach operator will now resume services at a reduced frequency on its national network of intercity routes, with new Covid-secure measures in place to allow customers to travel in confidence.
Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach, said: “It’s great to have around 500 drivers back behind the wheel. All our teams have been working hard to get us ready to safely welcome customers back onboard, implementing significant changes to protect everyone’s health and wellbeing.
“We’re happy to be back on the road and playing our part in getting the country safely moving again by providing a safe option for those who have no alternative to public transport.”
The new timetable will focus on major towns and cities, connecting over 180 locations across the UK and equivalent to around a quarter of the mileage of the pre-covid national intercity network.
Face coverings must be worn by law on all public transport in England and Scotland, and customers are reminded to wear a face covering on their Megabus and National Express journeys.
Visit uk.megabus.com and nationalexpress.com for more details about the services available.