We’re changing social distancing on buses in the South East

Here is a notification from Stagecoach buses ( who run the buses in Eastbourne and Hastings areas ) informing of new seating guidelines.

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease and more people are travelling we’ve reviewed our seating guidance so we can safely carry more passengers.
There will be posters and signage onboard the bus to help you find where to sit. Once on board you’ll be able to sit:
» One person per double seat
» Leave the seat behind and next to someone empty
» Only sit with somebody if they’re in your household or bubble.
See below example plans so that you can see the zig zag seating arrangement:

We know you’ve got lots of questions so we’ve put together some answers relating to this new process when travelling on our services.
Q Why is it safe now to sit so close to others on the bus?
A With the virus now more controlled, the alert level has been reduced and there has been a relaxation of social distancing measures across other sectors in England.
Now that everyone who can is wearing a face covering on board it was time for us to make a few changes. Along with other public transport operators, we’ve done a risk assessment which means one person can now sit on each double seat, in a zig-zag formation. This will allow more people to safely travel on our services.
Q I haven’t seen this in the Government guidelines, is this allowed?
A In line with the reduced risk level, the Government has relaxed social distancing measures across a wide range of sectors and worked with individual sectors to apply the new measures to that industry. We’ve consulted with government and The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) that this change in social distancing on board public transport is allowed and is necessary to help get the country moving again.
Q What if the person in front of or behind me isn’t wearing a face covering?
A There will be people who aren’t wearing face coverings because they’re exempt for various reasons so please remember to be kind. If you feel uncomfortable sitting in front of or behind them, choose a seat further away or across the aisle.

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