Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator had called for a joint strategy between industry and government to secure vital public transport networks out of the Covid-19 lockdown and beyond.
As the UK Government plans to outline its thinking on how the country will be eased out of lockdown, Stagecoach set out a six-point plan for the “new normal” identifying the short and long-term changes that will help reboot the economy and protect communities.
Chief Executive Martin Griffiths outlined the proposals in a social media blog and said sustainable public transport was critical to the future. He called for the tragedy of Covid-19 to be a “defining moment” that leads to a transformed society and creates a legacy that honours key workers who have given their lives in the fight against the pandemic.
The call comes as recent research by consultants SYSTRA suggests public transport use in Britain’s cities could be 20% lower than pre-Covid-19 levels after lockdown.
