The government’s message is still clear that people should stay home and should not travel, including children who have been told they can return to school, if they or a family member are showing any symptoms of the virus or where a family member is suspected or has had the virus. However we understand that there is still a risk so we have put together some general guidance for transport staff, taken from guidance issued by Public Health England and advice from the Council’s health and safety advisers.

The best way to protect staff and passengers is to follow high hygiene standards, maintain social distancing wherever possible and to make small adjustments to normal working practices. This can best be achieved by: 

 Asking passengers to be ready at the door so staff don’t have to touch doorbells etc

 Using anti-bacterial wipes to frequently clean touched surfaces such as seatbelts, door handles (inside & out), steering wheels, gear sticks and grab rails (many anti-bacterial wipes also kill viruses, please check the details on the back of the pack)

 Having a small carrier bag in your vehicle to dispose of used wipes until they can be placed in a bin

 Ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach by having tissues and a waste bag available in the vehicle

 Having alcohol-based hand sanitiser available, although be aware of younger children and those with special needs accessing it unsupervised

 Allowing time in the schedules or designing routes that allow drivers to wash their hands regularly (or use hand sanitiser) and clean down frequently touched surfaces in vehicles.

 Maintain a 2-metre distance as much as is practically possible, e.g. by using a bigger vehicle, spacing passengers out, sitting a passenger in the back of a car diagonally across from the driver – see further guidance below on vehicle use

 Where a 2-metre distance isn’t possible, avoid face-2-face contact as much as possible e.g. sitting side on. If face-to face contact is required, keep this under 15 minutes

 Good ventilation is key with any virus, therefore try driving with the windows slightly open to facilitate air-flow within the vehicle. The vehicle’s fan or climate control settings should not be set to re-circulate.

Facemasks and PPE - Government guidance based on research and evidence is that PPE is not effective or necessary for non-clinical settings, however if staff wish to wear a mask, then that is acceptable to us. But please ensure you know how to remove and dispose of them safely and appropriately (more advice is in the section below on face coverings). There are a variety of suppliers on-line that can issue.

A separate section on the use of face coverings is at the end of this document, which is advice from NCC’s public health service. Face coverings are not mandatory, for transport staff or for children, although schools have asked pupils to wear one if they are able to. 

However this is not enforceable and should not be a reason to refuse transport. Messages about distancing and good hygiene are far more important and effective. Schools are educating pupils on hand and respiratory hygiene and reminding them to wash their hands before travelling.

In order to maintain a level of social distancing on vehicles we are trying to limit the number of children who will be travelling on each vehicle, and in some cases we will be asking for a larger vehicle to be used when the journey would normally be provided by a car or taxi.

In general we are allocating passengers to vehicles using the following capacity guidelines, and suggest that passengers sit in the following locations on the vehicle to keep as far apart as possible. Children from the same household can sit together and this may mean that more children are then able to travel in the vehicle. 

This is a guide only and in some cases may of course not be achievable. Passenger assistants will need to sit with the child where necessary and should follow the guidelines listed above.

Vehicle type     Number of passengers (not including any passenger assistant) Suggested seating location

4 seat saloon  - 1 passenger,   Rear nearside, diagonally opposite the driver

6 – 8 seat vehicle-  2 passengers,   1 seated in middle row nearside  1 in rear offside

10 - 16 seat minibus   3 – 5 passengers,  dependent on layout 1 seated in first usable nearside, others 1 per row staggered offside / nearside

33 seat coach-  7 passengers,  1 per row, staggered offside / nearside, with front row seated only on nearside to preserve separation from driver

53 seat bus or coach  9 – 13 passengers,   dependent on layout 1 per row, staggered offside / nearside, with front row seated only on nearside to preserve separation from driver

70+ seat vehicle Up to 18 passengers, 1 per row, staggered offside / nearside, with front row seated only on nearside to preserve separation from driver

Ensure it is clear which seats are to be used on the vehicle either by cordoning off those not to be used or making it clear which ones are to be used.

Loading (where passengers are able to do this themselves)

Boarding when travelling to school: Each passenger to sit at rearmost available seat unless specifically agreed otherwise due to reasons of child welfare. Where possible, children should be encouraged to sit in the same seat each day.

Boarding at school: every effort should be made to load passengers in reverse of drop off order (i.e. last drop off on first, etc); otherwise alighting at home drop off order will briefly contravene distancing as alighting passenger passes seated passengers. Although please note, briefly passing by others at close contact is low risk.

Where passengers pass the driver’s seat to board the vehicle, drivers may wish to turn off the engine and alight from the vehicle (using the driver’s door if available) before the passengers board. 

To avoid close proximity between driver and children, parents should be asked to encourage their children to put on themselves, so far as possible. Where assistance is required (likely to be youngest children), the parent/ responsible adult should be encouraged to assist when boarding at home. 

When boarding at the school, the school staff in the “bubble” may be able to assist as required.  

Ventilate vehicle with opened windows wherever possible. Operate extractor systems where available. Do not set to recirculate air.

Cleaning to be carried out before and after each trip, giving particular attention to surfaces that are touched like grab rails, door handles, seats and poles. A deeper clean should be carried out at the end of each day.

The same driver should be used for the operation of the contract unless exceptional operational circumstances make that impossible on a given occasion. Likewise it is advisable that the same vehicle is used for the same children each day.

If there are too many students at a bus stop for the recommended loadings above, then the driver should under no circumstances load the vehicle beyond the recommended capacity above, unless students who are sitting together are from the same household.

The driver should load to the maximum capacity only and then make arrangements for further capacity to be provided, e.g. by calling for another vehicle or going back for the students after dropping off the first load. 

It will be important to monitor numbers if both students and the public are using local bus services. The same guidelines on passenger numbers on the vehicles apply and so you will need to control / advise where passengers sit. 

If there are too many students and/or other passengers at a bus stop for the recommended loadings above, then the driver should not load the vehicle beyond the recommended capacity above, unless passengers who are sitting together are from the same household. The driver should inform waiting passengers when the next service is or make arrangements for further capacity to be provided, e.g. by calling for another vehicle or going back for the students after dropping off the first load. 

Posters about social distancing and how to board and alight the bus (e.g. allow passengers off the bus before boarding) are strongly recommended. 

The government have recently issued advice about when it may be appropriate to wear face coverings as more people start to move around outside their home environment.

Face coverings can help contain any droplets you produce and therefore reduce the possibility of you transmitting COVID-19 to other people. A face covering is not Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, and the evidence of the benefit of using a face covering to protect others is also weak with the effect likely to be small. However, it is important to remember, if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 (a new persistent cough or a high temperature), no matter how mild, you should self-isolate and seek to get tested if you are eligible. 

The most effective ways of limiting the spread of the virus are to limit contact with others in line with government advice, environmental cleaning and personal hygiene (regular hand washing for 20 seconds and following catch it, bin it, kill it advice). It is very important that we all remain vigilant at this time.

The demand on PPE is currently high, so we are asking everyone to support the governments call to reserve PPE, including face masks for those who need them such as health and social care workers.

Wearing a face covering is optional and is not required by law either when out in public or in the workplace. We cannot insist anyone wears face coverings, and for some people it would not be appropriate, for example where it would cause distress or exacerbate a health condition.

If you choose to wear one, it is important to use face coverings properly and hygienically:

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it

• when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands

• when you take your face covering off, fold it in on itself and store safely in a bag between wears or before washing the covering

• change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it

• continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly

• change and wash your face covering daily

• if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual waste

• always practise social distancing wherever possible even when wearing a face covering

You can make face-coverings at home and can find guidance on how to do this and use them safely on GOV.UK.