Stagecoach creates students-only buses ready for return to Northamptonshire's schools and colleges

Bus operator Stagecoach is putting more buses back on the road across Northamptonshire ready for students to return to schools and colleges.

Some of the county's services will be reserved for students only to make up for massively reduced capacity due to social distancing on regular routes.

They will be identified by the letter ‘C’ after the route number and the words ‘Students Only’ below the destination.

In line with Government advice, all seats will be available for use on students-only services with face coverings recommended for all children over 11 unless they are covered by a list of exemptions.

Stagecoach Midlands managing director Mark Whitelocks said: “We’ve worked closely with local authorities to put a number of additional measures in place including dedicated school bus services and extra buses on busy routes to ensure we can separate school children and public bus services wherever it’s possible to do so.

“We want to make sure that as students return to school and college and more people return to work, they can be confident about their journey with us.

“We’re continuing with our extensive daily deep cleaning of all buses and with everybody playing their part and following the rules on wearing face coverings and hygiene, people can continue to travel to work, school and college by bus safely and confidently.”

Full information on dedicated school services and other timetable changes from this weekend can be found HERE.

Customers not travelling for school, college or work, are asked to try and avoid school and peak travel times. People are also encouraged to use contactless wherever possible or buy tickets online through the Stagecoach app.

All public bus services continue to observe social distancing guidelines — which means up to 80 per cent of seats must remain empty — and face coverings should be worn by all passengers over 11 years old unless they are exempt.

Passenger who are exempt are encouraged to apply for a Journey Assistance Card on the Stagecoach website.

Stagecoach has put a range of measures in place to help everybody feel safe and confident in using its services.

All buses have been accredited with Visit Britain’s “We’re Good to Go” official mark, recognising the work carried out to meet government and industry Covid-19 guidelines and the processes in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

The comprehensive regime includes daily deep cleans and contactless payments, in addition to the government's mandatory use of face coverings.