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Grant Shapps, the transportation secretary, has suggested he wouldn’t personally get on a crowded bus or subway, after busy scenes this week after Boris Johnson encouraged people to return to work.
The cabinet minister urged people not to “back off” on public transportation, saying that they should instead consider walking, biking, or driving.
However, he said that physical distance in tubes, trains or buses will not be monitored, and that the government will depend on “soft advice or exhortations” that people should avoid the busiest times and places.
“We are asking people to be very sensitive and not to go back to public transportation. Even when all the trains and buses are running again when they are, there won’t be enough space. One in 10 people will be able to travel without overcrowding, “he told Sky News.
“It is very important that we make enough space on public transport for key workers, people who have no other choice. It is very important that people do not overload this system, which will be extremely restricted at the moment. “
When asked by BBC Breakfast if he would personally go on a bus or subway, Shapps said: “No. People should try to avoid that. There are plenty of extra staff organizers organized at train stations and bus exchanges to try to advise people to avoid following that route. “
Shapps said 44% of people traveling on public transportation lived less than three miles from their workplaces and could walk or bike. However, many in cities depend on public transportation and are being pressured by employers to return to their jobs.
Shapps said that for those who “absolutely need to travel, wearing a face covering can be helpful.”
He also warned that the government would have to “take action” if too many people try to use the public transport system. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today program: “If we see the R [rate of transmission] the number goes up again, especially above one, we will have to take action. We all know what that means. It means staying home again. “
The transportation secretary was also pressured by inconsistencies in government guidelines for people to return to work when they were still prohibited from mixing with friends and family in other homes.
When asked why people could see properties to buy or rent but not see their families, he said that a line had to be drawn “to gradually release things.”
“We have to understand that we have done so well in the last eight weeks that we cannot throw all that away, so these are small steps,” he said. “If someone visits a house [for sale]It is likely to be something unique, if you are starting to visit your family again, it is likely to be many more times.
“Somewhere there has to be a line drawn where we say this is fine, but it is not, to gradually release things. And this is where that line is right now.”
He also echoed Matt Hancock, the health secretary, who said Tuesday that big summer vacations abroad seemed unlikely.
“At this time, you cannot travel abroad. If you are booking it, it is clear that, by its very nature, you risk where the direction of this virus is going and therefore where the travel advice is in the future. Shapps said.
