London buses to double passenger capacity from Monday
Londoners will soon face fewer capacity-related bus frustrations, as from Monday social distancing measures on buses across England will be eased.
In London capacity on double decker buses will be doubled to around 60 passengers from Monday.
For single decker buses capacity will be increased to 28, up from between 11 and 14 currently, depending on the bus.
All forward-facing seats will be available to passengers from Monday, however backwards facing seats will continue to be blocked off, and standing will still not be permitted.
The decision to ease restrictions is in line with Monday’s changes, which will mean people can meet up indoors for the first time in months.
Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, said: “Like many, I cannot wait to meet friends and family in London’s pubs and restaurants, or to head to a stadium or theatre to experience live entertainment with others.
“These are some of the things that make London great, and our public transport enables everyone to experience them. We are looking forward to welcoming customers back to our network, and are operating near-normal levels of service to support social distancing.”
He continued: “We’re ensuring public transport is cleaner than ever with staff on hand to offer advice, assist and help keep everyone safe. And we’re advising customers to travel at the quieter times if they can to spread demand across the day.”
Transport for London runs a network of around 8,000 buses every day.