Guidance from Arriva (April 2021):
Please click here for the Arrive School bus routing information.
Letter from Arriva to the school:
Dear Head Teacher
As government restrictions are lifted and non-essential retail, outdoor hospitality, indoor leisure, and outdoor settings begin to reopen from 12th April we will be ramping services back up to meet demand. This will result in some minor changes to school journeys. I have attached some information on how our bus services will be running to ensure that all those wishing to travel with us can still do so safely and confidently.
Please rest assured that all our buses are Covid-19 secure and undergo enhanced touchpoint cleaning each day. Good ventilation of fresh air is also ensured by keeping windows open wherever possible.
To help reduce the amount of physical contact between pupils and drivers, we are asking pupils to only use contactless payment or pre- purchase tickets via the Arriva UK Bus app. Cash will only be accepted as a form of payment in exceptional circumstances and where the correct fare can be paid, our drivers will not be able to provide change at this time.
A reminder on bus travel that are operating slightly differently, details of which are outlined below:
- We will have buses reserved for school, sixth form and college pupils only, the route number for these services will begin with an “S”. Pupils from any year group and from any school or college located on the route can travel on these buses. If pupils from your school do need to travel on the same bus as those from another school, we are asking them to sit with those from their own school, ideally from their own year group. Where possible we are asking pupils to maintain social distancing, although capacity on these buses will be increased allowing students to sit next to each other and standing if necessary. The seats behind the driver and any facing each other will be marked off and should not be used. Government guidance is that all pupils over the age of 11 must wear a face covering, exemptions apply. We encourage pupils to also carry hand sanitiser with them and use it before getting on and off the bus wherever possible.
- To help increase capacity, we will be adding in additional journeys on certain services and in some cases, we will be running two buses at the same time so that both those travelling to and from school or college and keyworkers travelling to and from work can do so safely. Some buses running will be supplied by the local authority and will not look like an Arriva bus. As per government guidelines, social distancing will be required on these services and is clearly marked out onboard. All those over 11 must wear a face covering, exemptions apply
If the route your pupils usually travel on does not begin with an “S” it means that there is no dedicated school bus. They can still use this normal service to travel to school or college, and we have ensured there is plenty of capacity on these services. As per government guidelines, social distancing will be required on these services and is clearly marked out onboard. All those over 11 must wear a face covering, exemptions apply.
I have attached a PDF document that outlines the details of what is happening in your area and would be grateful if you could share this information with your pupils and parents. We have created some visual assets that might be of use to help you share this information which you can also find attached to this email.
Full timetable details can be found in the Arriva UK Bus app which is free to download from the app store or via www.arrivabus.co.uk/help/coronavirus/coronavirus-timetable-information
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your colleagues the best of luck with settling your pupils back into school. After such a long time apart, I am sure everyone is extremely excited to be back together again.
Yours sincerely