£167m government funding to keep Metrobus services running in Sussex

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Metrobus has been awarded £167million funding from the government to ensure key workers and people can get to where they need to go by bus during the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding will be made available to bus operators within the next 12 weeks.

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Martin Harris, Metrobus’ managing director, welcomed the news: “The additional funding made available by the government will help us continue to ensure passenger load numbers are well managed and to maintain the two-metre guidelines while still getting key workers and other people to where they need to be.”

Metrobus has introduced a revised timetable, Mr Harris said, with an emphasis on maintaining bus services for key workers and for people making essential journeys, while reducing other services and withdrawing some routes.

Metrobus has been awared £167million government fundingMetrobus has been awared £167million government funding
Metrobus has been awared £167million government funding

“The service patterns are designed to ensure we observe the government’s 50 per cent passenger loading limit for each journey. In reality, few journeys will get near to this limit but we will monitor this very carefully,” added Mr Harris.

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He said the changes reflected passenger demand, which has fallen by 90 per cent following the government’s advice not to travel unless absolutely essential during the pandemic.

“We are working hard to provide the right level of service for our communities. Our primary focus is to get NHS staff to the area’s hospitals and other key workers to and from work while helping people travel when they need to collect essentials and prescriptions.

“This will mean that fewer journeys will operate on some routes but we are making sure we run buses at the times when they are most needed.

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“We would like to thank all of our passengers for their understanding so far for the short notice changes we have made to services, as well as all the heart-warming messages of support that we have received from you. I know they mean a lot to our drivers.

“I am exceptionally proud of how our drivers and other frontline colleagues have risen to the challenge of keeping services going and how well we have all supported one another during these difficult times.”

Changes include:

• New timetables for Fastway 10, Fastway 20 and Routes 23, 93, 270 and 291.

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• Sunday and Public Holiday services will no longer operate on Routes 23, 93, 98, 270 and 291.

• Withdrawal of Routes 21, 22, 84, 273, 281 and 318 from 4 April until further notice, due to very low passenger numbers.

• Minor amendments to Routes 1, 2 and 3.

• Metrobus’ new routes in Epsom, the E9 and E10, which start operating on 4 April, will run to a reduced timetable.

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Meanwhile, the bus company is maintaining an enhanced cleaning schedule, including bus deep cleans, while paying particular attention to frequent touch-points, like hand rails and stop buttons.

Passengers are encouraged to pay by contactless or mobile phone – rather than cash – to reduce the risk to drivers and to observe social distancing requirements. Social distancing posters will soon be appearing on buses.

People can find updated timetables on the service level information page.

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