Latest Service Announcements & News

Last Updated: Wednesday 28th October 2020 @ 15:43

 

 

M13 & M14 Updated Travel Guidance From Monday 2nd November 2020.

 

We have been notified by Sir Thomas Rich’s School about 2 of their Year 8 pupils testing positive for Coronavirus. One travels on our M13 service and the other on our M14 service.

 

The school have told all Sir Thomas Rich’s pupils travelling on our M14 service to self-isolate, only a select number on the M13 service will need to do so. The pupils will self-isolate till Friday 6^th November returning to school on Monday 9^th November.

 

The school have advised us that all of their M14 pupils will need to self-isolate because they picked up that the boys were not keeping in their designated seats unfortunately. Both the school and our drivers constantly advise pupils to do so before boarding but clearly some are not taking our advice. As part of our travel guidance pupils must remaining seated in their allocated seats at all times. For the latest travel guidance please Click Here.

 

 

New Seating Plans For Our Pates Grammar School Services From Monday 2nd November 2020.

 

Following recent updated guidance from Public Health England, we have reviewed the current seating plan for M1, M2, M3 & M5 dedicated school bus services.

 

From Monday 2nd November pupils will be allocated a seat in years bubbles. We have worked closely with Pates in coordinating the new seating arrangements, every effort has been made to sit children next to their friends wherever possible.

 

Emails are being sent out our from our Home to School Team to parents and carers advising on thier child's seat number.

 

Please click either M1 seating plan, M2 seating plan, M3 seating plan or M5 seating plan to help locate your child's seat and to print a seating plan.

 

 

New Seating Plans For Our M13 & M14 Services From Thursday 15th October 2020.

 

Following recent updated guidance from Public Health England, we have reviewed the current seating plan for both our M13 & M14 serving Sir Thomas Rich’s School and Denmark Road High School.

 

From Thursday 15^th October passengers will be allocated a seat in years bubbles within a larger school bubble. We have worked closely with both schools in coordinating the new seating arrangements, every effort has been made to sit children next to their friends wherever possible.

 

Emails are being sent out our from our Home to School Team to parents and carers advising on thier child's seat number.

 

To help locate your child's seat and to print a seating plan, please click either M13 seating plan or M14 seating plan.

 

 

Important Changes To Our M13 & M14 Services From Monday 28th September 2020.

 

Sir Thomas Rich’s School have requested that we change the departure time from school. The changes are being made after a review of their new Covid timetable. The school have decided to reduce the length of their lunch period and finish earlier at 3pm. Both our M13 and M14 will now start from Sir Thomas Rich’s School before collecting pupils from Denmark Road High School. Due to the amount of buses that serve the school we’ve worked closely with the other operators and school to minimise disruption to the local residents. Both our services are scheduled to arrive no earlier than 15:10 at Oakleaze and will depart at 15:15 promptly.

 

Denmark Road High School have also revised their finishing time to 15:30. Both our M13 & M14 services will now depart from Seabroke Road 5 minutes later at 15:35. Please see the timetables below for further details.

 

 

 

Our COVID-19 Safety Measures On Our Dedicated School Bus Services.

 

We take the welfare of our customers and employees extremely seriously, and are doing everything we can to keep them safe from the risk of infection from COVID-19, whilst travelling with us.

 

Before vehicles depart our depot it will have undergone a thorough deep clean using bleach, disinfectant and other recommended cleaning products. Particular attention is given to the high touch areas including, but not exclusively hand rails, handles, seat belts and where fitted washroom facilities. During the course of the day our drivers and cleaning staff will continue to maintain hygiene levels by wiping these high touch areas with antibacterial wipes and other cleaning products.

 

Antibacterial hand sanitiser containing a minimum 70% alcohol will also be available for passengers to use throughout the duration of your child’s journey.

 

The Department for Transport (DfT), made the following statement on 2^nd July 2020, regarding social distancing on school bus transport:

 

We are making a distinction between dedicated school transport and wider public transport:

 

· by dedicated school transport, we mean services that are used only to carry pupils to school. This includes statutory home to school transport, but may also include some existing or new commercial travel routes, where they carry school pupils only

· by public transport services, we mean routes which are also used by the general public

 

Dedicated school transport including statutory provision

Pupils on dedicated school services do not mix with the general public on those journeys and tend to be consistent. This means that the advice for passengers on public transport to adopt a social distance of two metres from people outside their household or support bubble, or a ‘one metre plus’s approach where this is not possible, will not apply from the autumn term on dedicated transport.

 

Based on the current guidance given by the DfT, social distancing will not apply to our dedicated school bus services to Denmark Road High School, Pates Grammar School, Sir Thomas Rich's School and Winchcombe School from September.

 

Pupils will be required to wear a face covering whilst travelling on our services including when boarding and alighting. Further details including information on those who are exempt from wearing a face covering can be found on our website, please Click Here.

 

We will continue to monitor the guidance given by the Government and DfT with updates on travel guidance posted on our website.