TfL urges Londoners to walk and cycle as schools reopen
TfL has urged people to consider alternatives to using public transport as schools start to gradually reopen from Monday.
TfL has issued advice for headteachers, parents and guardians and called for those who can to walk and cycle to school to make space for those who have no other alternative.
TfL is currently operating around 85 per cent of bus services and 80 per cent of Tube services. However it has said that even if 100 per cent of services were being operated, the number of people TfL would be able to safely carry would still be constrained to around 13 to 15 per cent of normal while the recommendation of two metre social distancing remains.
The government has set out expectations that children return to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 from tomorrow.
TfL is calling on students to walk and cycle for journeys less than a kilometre. To support this, it is creating extra space across the capital and making some temporary changes to roads to enable social distancing.
Will Norman, the mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner said: ““We are asking Londoners to work with us to ensure capacity on public transport is kept free for those people who need it most – this means many more journeys will need to be walked or cycled.”
Headteachers have been asked to establish a “School Street” scheme where possible, which will close roads to traffic at school gates during drop off and pick up time.
It has also asked schools where many pupils take the bus to consider staggering their start and finish times to help take the pressure off peak travel times across London. For those pupils who do have to use public transport, TfL have urged them to wear a facial covering, carry hand sanitiser and wash their hands before and after they travel.