Govt support comes with scrutiny

摘要

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has provided another £254million of funding to maintain bus services in England in return for government scrutiny of operators' accounts. The funding is vital as, although local services across England began to be ramped up from 31 May as the coronavirus lockdown was eased, new rules on social distancing inside buses reduced their capacity to around 25% of seats. Major operators, including First, Arriva and Go-Ahead, have developed live tracking apps to advise waiting passengers of how many seats are available, with 'Sony Bus Full' signs displayed on destination screens. Starting on 15 June, it is mandatory for all passengers on public transport in England to wear a facemask. The initial round of Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG), which had applied since 17 March, has now been supplanted by CBSSG Restart. Both grants are paid at approximately £1 per km, but there are revisions to the conditions of the Restart scheme.