Coronavirus information

Page updated: 30/11/2021

We are doing everything we can to ensure you can travel with confidence, and we have put measures in place to keep our customers safe when travelling on our buses.

People should continue to follow public health measures to protect one another. Government guidance is different in England, Scotland and Wales:

Government guidance in England ⇒
Government guidance in Wales ⇒
Government guidance in Scotland ⇒

Here’s a guide for when you get on board:

Wearing masks
It is a legal requirement to wear a face mask while on board public transport, unless exempt. This is the law.
In some areas it is also a requirement for people to wear face coverings in public transport premises including bus stops.

Please remember to bring a face covering for your journey as without one you will be unable to travel unless you are exempt.
Please put your face covering on before boarding the bus, and please wear your face covering throughout the duration of your journey, including when disembarking the bus.
If you are unable to wear a face covering please inform the driver and if you have one show your journey assistance card.
Be aware that not everyone can wear a face covering and some exemptions apply.

Ventilation & Cleaning
We will continue to ensure that all windows are left open for additional ventilation in addition to our enhanced cleaning regime which will remain in place to keep you and others around you safe.

Social distancing
In England all seats are in use and our buses are at full capacity making sure we can take you where you need to go. In Scotland and Wales some seating restrictions remain in place on our buses.

Paying for your journey
Where possible avoid the use of cash and continue to use contactless on board or buy in advance using our mobile app.

First Bus App: Not only can you buy your tickets in advance, but you can plan your journey, check live bus times, track your bus live on a map. You can see how far the bus is from your stop and how many seats are free. If you haven’t already got it you can download it here. ⇒
Pay contactless: To avoid handling cash, go contactless and pay either with a contactless card, Google or Apple Pay. More details here. ⇒

Please see here for the latest timetable and service information in your area ⇒

Before you travel

Use the award winning First Bus App. With great travel features to help you move confidently, including buying an mTicket so you don't need to use cash on the bus, journey planning, track your bus live on a map. You can see how far it is from your stop and how many seats are free ⇒
In England all seats are in use. In Scotland and Wales some seating restrictions remain in place on our buses, this means that some of our buses are not at full capacity. Where possible we have increased services to meet travel demand but there might be times where the bus has reached its new capacity, and you might see a "Bus Full" sign. So, please allow plenty of time for your journey and be prepared to wait.
There may be situations where it is more difficult to maintain distance from people, for example when boarding or alighting, on busier services, at busier times of day and when walking through interchanges. In these cases, you should try to reduce physical contact and keep the time you spend near others as short as possible.
Please don’t forget your face covering for your journey (unless exempt). It is a legal requirement to wear a face covering which needs to cover your mouth and nose and must remain in place for the entire journey until you have left the bus.

For information regarding face covering exemptions in Scotland ⇒
For face covering exemptions in Wales ⇒
For information regarding face covering exemptions in England ⇒

We encourage all customers in England and Wales to download the NHS COVID-19 app ⇒ and all customers in Scotland to download the Protect Scotland app ⇒ from NHS Scotland’s Test & Protect. Both apps are free to download from the App Store and Google Play.
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At the bus stop

Why not use the First Bus app ⇒ to track where your bus is, and reduce the amount of time you’re waiting at the bus stop.
You can also see how many seats are available on the bus so that you’re confident there is plenty of space to travel, or if you are not time restricted you may wish to catch a later bus which is less busy.
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When waiting at the stop, space out from fellow passengers.
Face coverings must be worn on our buses unless exempt, otherwise you could be fined. For details of exemptions in your area please see the FAQ’s below.
When the bus arrives, please allow time and space for passengers to leave the bus before you step onboard.
If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past, it might have reached its reduced seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so make sure to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait. With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.
Get your bus ticket or payment ready, whether it’s activating your mTicket, having your concessionary pass or contactless card out or ensuring you have the right change. It all helps speed up boarding and minimise the time with your driver making it safer for everyone.

On board

Face coverings must be worn on our buses unless exempt, otherwise you could be fined. For details of exemptions in your area please see the FAQ’s below.
We are following government guidance and recommend all customers wear a face mask whilst on board.
We encourage passengers to make cashless payments to avoid cash handling. If you need to use cash, we would be very grateful if you could provide the correct fare for your journey as no change is given (certain operating areas only):
In Glasgow, West Lothian and Aberdeen we operate our services on an exact fare, no change given basis.
In Scotland and Wales some seating restrictions are in place, please do not sit on any seats that have been marked off. If the bus has few passengers on board, we ask that you spread yourself out on the vehicle to give everyone as much space as possible.
Even if temperatures are low it's really important that windows on the bus remain open to assist air flow. If you get on the bus and notice a window has been closed, please open it to help us maintain this.
Please be patient while getting on and off and do not queue in the aisle or next to the driver. If you are able, please sit upstairs when possible leaving lower deck seats for those less mobile.
Please refrain from eating or drinking on board and please take any rubbish with you to assist with keeping our buses as clean as possible.
We are continuing with enhanced cleaning of our vehicles and facilities.

FAQs

General information

Yes, and by working with our customers we will continue to provide a bus network that is safe and allows everyone to complete their journeys. We are continuing with enhanced cleaning of our vehicles to keep you and others around you safe.

In England: all seats are in use and our buses are at full capacity making sure we can take you to where you need to go.

In Scotland and Wales
Yes, our buses are safe. We have an enhanced cleaning regime that includes the use of long-lasting sanitiser. Information on the bus helps guide customers to sit at a safe distance with no facing seats and it’s also the law to wear a face covering on the bus. You should follow the hand washing guidance too.

Yes, we are and there is no government advice currently to stop accepting cash, but please try to use the exact fare. However, we encourage all of our customers to buy tickets using the First Bus App or to pay by contactless card when boarding.

We are asking customers with a pushchair or buggy to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair or with restricted mobility. This may mean that you have to leave extra time or wait to complete your journey.

As we operate a number of different buses, there isn’t a single explanation. It’s best to check out the advice about buggies and pushchairs on our website which you will find here https://www.firstbus.co.uk/bus-accessibility

Certain pre-paid tickets allow full flexibility of use and for some, such as single tickets on our mTicket App, we have extended the expiry to allow customers more time.

Ventilation

Where air conditioning systems are used on our buses they draw on air from the outside, so keeping a constant fresh flow of air circulating through the vehicle, which helps to keep bus travel safe.

We’re following government guidance to increase ventilation in enclosed spaces; this will apply come rain or shine.

Increasing ventilation helps to reduce the spread of airborne viruses, including Covid, so it’s better for everyone. We understand that drafts can make it feel colder and have modified windows so they can open partially which will lessen the draft created whilst keeping you safe.

We’re grateful to everyone for supporting measures we’re taking to look after each other.

Local changes/restrictions

Our bus services will continue to operate at reduced capacities in line with safe distancing. Please refer to our App for live information on capacity available and timetables.

Please check local government guidance in your area before travelling.

Face coverings and hand-sanitiser

It is the law to wear a face covering on Public Transport unless you have a medical exemption. Details of exemptions can be found here:

Scotland: https://tinyurl.com/ybvv2zhz

Wales: https://tinyurl.com/y5gr9moy

England: https://tinyurl.com/2p8vydwf

Failure to do so may result in a fixed penalty notice which is issued by the police.

It is your legal responsibility to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport, unless you have a medical exemption to show the driver. The driver cannot enforce face coverings, but you may be liable to a fixed penalty notice if you refuse.

It is the passenger’s legal responsibility to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport unless they have a medical exemption. The driver cannot enforce this, but passengers may be liable to a fixed penalty notice if they refuse.

We believe that it is for the government to decide whether or not to instruct people to wear face coverings based on scientific advice.

Our drivers may not be wearing a face covering or mask while driving as this can be distracting. And for those who wear glasses there is a risk these get steamed up while driving. The cab has a protective screen to separate the driver and passengers which gives added safety.

Yes, our drivers have a face mask and will wear it when leaving the cab and are in an open area of the bus to assist customers or during changeovers with another driver.

Scotland:
Children under 5 do not need to wear a face covering. You can find all the information on exemptions at

Scotland https://tinyurl.com/ybvv2zhz

Wales:
Children under 11 do not need to wear a face covering. You can find all the information on exemptions at

Wales https://tinyurl.com/y5gr9moy

England:
Children under 11 do not need to wear a face covering. You can find all the information on exemptions at

England https://tinyurl.com/y7pd957e

The Government has published a list of exemptions from wearing a face covering. You can find all the information on this link to the websites

Scotland https://tinyurl.com/ybvv2zhz

Wales https://tinyurl.com/y5gr9moy

England: https://tinyurl.com/2p8vydwf

It’s not necessary to show ID to prove you’re exempt. Our drivers know this and will help vulnerable passengers to board without difficulty. But we do have an Extra Help to Travel card which makes it easier:

https://tinyurl.com/yba2z5vj

It is your legal responsibility to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport unless you have a medical exemption. The driver cannot enforce this, but you may be liable to a fixed penalty notice if you refuse.

That’s not a problem. If you browse on your phone to the Face coverings page on our website and highlight the travel card you can show this to the driver.

The majority of passengers are wearing face coverings and we estimate that around 15% are medically exempt, which they make clear when boarding. Our drivers are now issuing notices to any passengers without a face covering who are not exempt to remind them of the law and tell them they may be liable to be fined. Ultimately it is the passenger’s responsibility and drivers cannot enforce this.

Our website has a dedicated Face coverings page with lots of helpful answers to most questions our customers are asking here ⇒

Some customers are exempt from wearing face coverings due to a disability or medical condition, many of which are invisible so you should not assume they are breaking the law. It is up to you if you want to say something to another customer, but we advise you not to cause confrontation. Our drivers cannot enforce the wearing of face coverings on board.

We have followed guidance from our industry that customers should bring their own hand sanitiser and the public health advice for everyone to wash their hands regularly.

Social distancing

England only:

Social distancing in England is not in force. This means our buses are able to return to carrying the maximum number of passengers without any restrictions on sitting or standing.

Scotland and Wales
To help customers comply with guidelines we have signage by the entrance and inside our buses to clearly show where you should and shouldn’t sit to maintain a safe distance.

We’re able to increase the number of seats safely in line with Government advice after robust and detailed risk assessments.

The seating measures are advisory for customers and our drivers will not enforce them or leave their cab area, unless operating the manual bus ramp. We are asking all customers to assist our drivers by co-operating to make journeys safe for everyone.

Scotland and Wales
Our drivers cannot enforce social distancing as their focus must remain on driving people safely to their destination. We are appealing to customers to act responsibly and help them by following the measures and seat restrictions now in place.

England only
Social distancing in England is not in force. This means our buses are able to return to carrying the maximum number of passengers without any restrictions on sitting or standing.

Increasing seat capacity

Scotland and Wales only:
This is possible due to a new seating arrangement which will mean every passenger will be able to be seated in a forward-facing position, but the use of rear-facing seats will not be permitted.

England only:
Social distancing in England has ended. This means our buses are able to return to carrying the maximum number of passengers without any restrictions on sitting or standing.

Scotland and Wales only
Government restrictions have eased and more people are travelling and coming together safely. Places and buses are busier than they have been so once you board you might have to sit next to someone.

We continue to follow the guidance and only use forward facing seats as well as maintaining our other measures such as daily cleaning, ventilation and the use of face coverings.

Wales only
Customers can choose to stand (on the lower deck) but any standing passengers will not increase the overall capacity of the bus as this is based only on the number of forward and sideways facing seats.

Scotland
Standing is not currently permitted and we ask customers to help our drivers by using forward-facing seats only.

Helpful technology

Yes, there is. The First Bus App has a live Bus Map that lets customers know how many seats are free on buses near to their stop and the location of buses on the route, so you can choose services safely and easily.

Yes, our ticket machines will be updated which provides the information into our App.

Ticket machine technology and monitoring passenger trends will help us to enable safe distancing on-board, so where we can, we’ll try to add more vehicles on the busiest routes to provide the best service for necessary journeys.

If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past or you are not allowed onto a bus, this might be because the bus has reached its seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so make sure to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait.

We are asking everyone to assist our drivers by co-operating, which might mean waiting longer to board.

With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

The app relies on the driver recording passengers boarding and alighting. Drivers are instructed only to record the wheelchair space as being full when it is used by a passenger in a wheelchair, and no change has been made to our policies regarding use of the wheelchair space.

Services/Timetables

We have increased the frequency on many services and are monitoring passenger data to provide extra journeys, where possible, on the busiest routes to provide the best service possible.

With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

Vulnerable customers

We are asking customers to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair and will do all we can to prioritise access to the wheelchair space for a wheelchair user.

Our First Bus app gives wheelchair users live updates that show if the wheelchair space is available on buses nearby and helps them plan their journey.

If the wheelchair space is occupied the driver will ask customers to move, which they should do to help us in enabling wheelchair users to travel.

Our drivers will help visually impaired customers at stops, as before, and to assist with access. When 'bus full' is displayed, drivers will continue the journey for the safety of all people on board or at stops..

We're here for you

We’re absolutely committed to being there for our customers and you can contact us by phone on 0345 646 0707 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and we're available on Twitter 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-5pm weekends and bank holidays. Please see our Help and Support page for contact details.

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