Coronavirus - COVID19: Service information
All information below is accurate as of 26th January 2022.
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. Government guidance in England ⇒
Here’s a guide for when you get on board:
Wearing masks
At First Bus, the health, safety and comfort of our colleagues and customers are always front and centre. In England, Government guidelines [from January 27th] suggest the ongoing use of face coverings in crowded places where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
Customers may therefore choose to continue to wear a face covering on board our buses, especially when services are busy. We encourage everyone to respect their fellow passengers and look out for one another.
Ventilation & Cleaning
Together with practical measures such as enhanced cleaning, we will continue to ensure all windows are left open for additional ventilation.
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
Paying for your journey
Where possible avoid the use of cash and continue to use contactless on board or buy in advance using the First Bus App.
We have introduced a range of new fares and tickets to suit the changing needs of our customers. More information can be found on our website here.
Travelling on our buses:
We’ve got each stage of your journey covered so that you can arrive safely at your destination.
Before you travel:
- Use the First Bus App to journey plan and buy your ticket
- Use our Space Checker tool to find when your bus is less busy
- Government guidelines [from January 27th] suggest the ongoing use of face coverings in crowded places where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
- Bring hand sanitiser
- We encourage our customers to download the NHS COVID19 App
At the Bus Stop:
- Use the First Bus App to track where your bus is and the number of free seats available
- When waiting at the stop, space out from fellow passengers
- When your bus arrives, please allow space for passengers to leave the bus before you step onboard
- Get you payment method ready – mTicket on the First Bus App, contactless card, concessionary pass or the exact change
On Board:
- We encourage customers to make cashless payments to avoid cash handling
- Government guidelines [from January 27th] suggest the ongoing use of face coverings in crowded places where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
- 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
- Our windows need to remain open to maintain airflow
- To assist others less mobile, please sit upstairs on double deckers
- We are continuing our cleaning regime, but please help by not eating or drinking on board and remove any rubbish when you leave
Everyone is welcome on our buses if they follow government and First Bus guidance, and they are not feeling unwell. Anyone who is suffering from coronavirus symptoms including a persistent cough or high temperature, should not travel, and should follow public health guidelines.
With operators and customers working together we will provide a bus network, for those who need it, that is safe and allows everyone to complete their journeys.
If there any key workers not able to get to work due to any changes, please let us know and we can look to try and make amendments.
Contact us at: WYCommercialTeam@firstgroup.com
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.
All seats are in use and our buses are at full capacity making sure we can take you to where you need to go.
We have an enhanced cleaning regime that includes the use of long-lasting sanitiser.
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
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.
Helpful technology
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
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.
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.
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..
Lost Property
Our drivers collect all lost property found on our buses and return it to their depot, but it can take up to 2 working days to register lost property items on our system.
If you have left an item on one of our buses, the best way to recover it is to complete the contact form on our help and support page and select "Lost Property".
If you have completed the lost property form and we locate your property we will contact you. You'll be able to collect it from our Hunslet office between 9am and 4pm. Our offices are open Mondays to Fridays, closed on Bank Holidays.
Click here for more details.
We're here for you
Contact us by phone 0345 646 0707 (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday). Our quieter times are usually between 11am and 3pm so you may prefer to call then as there will be less of a wait to speak to one of our Customer Support Agents.
Contact us on Twitter @firstwestyorks 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday or 9am to 6pm on weekends and bank holidays.
- For mobile tickets (mTickets) bought in our app, please email our mTicket support team mticket-support@firstgroup.com. Please include the mobile number and email address associated with your mTicket account. Alternatively, please call us on 0330 094 7577.
- For subscription tickets, please email first.etickets@firstgroup.com and include the email address and telephone number associated with your subscription.
- For tickets you’ve bought on our website to print at home (eTickets, e.g. airport services), please call:
0345 646 0707 and select option 2 then option 2.
- For all paper tickets, please call 0345 646 0707 and select option 2 then option 3 or email us at: SSC-TicketEnquiries@firstgroup.com
Please be advised that our operators may be busy due to increased volume of enquiries but will do their best to assist you.
If you prefer, you can fill out the contact form here instead ⇒ We will get back to you as soon as we can but please be aware that for lost property enquiries our response time is usually within 3 working days for all other enquiries this could take up to 14 days.
