TfL School buses update
Following the Government’s announcement on the changes to the start dates for schools, we are making some changes to our bus services next week. Please be reassured that as schools return, we will be continuing to help children get to school safely and on time using our bus network. Our website and Journey Planner / TfL Go app are being updated with the changes, the key points of which are:
- A normal Monday to Friday service will run in the week starting 4 January. However, buses will not be separated into School Services and Non-School services, and all customers travelling in this week can board the first bus that comes (subject to capacity)
- Most of our schoolday-only services (routes generally numbered between 600 and 699) will run in the week starting 4 January. However, some of these routes may run with fewer buses than normal to reflect significantly reduced demand, and some may start later in the week to reflect when schools reopen. Everyone should check before they travel by using our journey planner tool or the TfL Go app
- The additional school services that ran last term will not run in the week starting 4 January. This is because of reduced school attendance, in line with the Government’s plan for a phased return of secondary school pupils. Additional school services will start running again as more pupils return, and we will provide more information nearer the time
- Regular services will continue to operate with restrictions on the number of people who can board to help ensure social distancing
- We will keep these arrangements under review, and will continue closely monitoring demand for services and plans for the return of schools
- We are also reminding everyone travelling to continue following safe travel guidance to protect themselves and others. This includes wearing a face covering over your nose and mouth throughout any public transport journey unless you are exempt, and keeping bus windows open to ensure a good supply of fresh air, even in cold weather. More information is available at https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/safer-travel-guidance
- Customers should continue to follow other Government guidance on safer travel, including maintaining social distancing where possible, washing or sanitising hands before and after journeys, and considering walking or cycling where possible
- School times are the busiest on the bus network, and we ask everyone travelling to follow this guidance help protect everyone’s health and control the spread of the virus
