NX West Midlands Hero

Travelling safely together

How we continue to operate safely and responsibly

Travelling safely together

At National Express, we are trusted to carry hundreds of thousands of customers across the UK every day. As we all start to return to normal life, it is more important than ever that we continue to operate safely and responsibly, following the rules together.

We’ve put in place many measures to help customers travel safely with us and we are pleased to hold the 'We're Good To Go' and 'Safe Travels' standards in recognition that our business has followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines.

Good to go logo                

Top things we are doing to keep you safe
  • Enhanced cleaning of shared surfaces 
  • Cleaners jumping on buses at key interchanges, town centres and bus stations
  • Daily fogging of all buses with antiviral solution
  • Extra buses on roads to aid social distancing
  • Cashless payments - contactless on the bus or tickets on our app
  • Buses leaving the depot with key windows open to enhance air flow
Top things to do when travelling with us
  • Plan ahead - allow extra time for your journey and if you can choose when to travel, the times are buses are quietest can be found here
  • Please wrap up warm as our buses will be colder with some windows open
  • Carry and use hand sanitiser before and after you travel
  • You must wear a face covering, unless you are exempt
  • Sit in a window seat if you can
  • Keep the windows open to keep fresh air flowing through the bus

What you can expect from us?

  • We have enhanced our extensive cleaning regimes to ensure we maintain high levels of hygiene for both customers and employees and reduce the risk of contact with Coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes extra cleaning of shared surface areas and cleaners jumping on buses at bus stations, key interchanges and stops. We also regularly use aerosol based disinfection containing a high performance antiviral solution - sometimes called ‘fogging’ on the bus fleet. We will continue to follow advice from the government and introduce any additional measures that are recommended or required. 
  • The expert advice from public health authorities around washing hands frequently, what to look out for and what to do if you develop symptoms, is being regularly shared with all of our employees.
  • Our timetables are currently running normally, and we also have a mini-fleet of extra “sweeper” vehicles on standby every day. We send them out to double up where it gets busy so there are more buses available, giving more space on board each bus.
  • Our drivers are here for you and if you need to ask them something please keep a safe distance between yourself and the driver.
  • For a full summary of the National Express West Midlands Covid-19 risk assessment, please click here.  

Keeping our drivers safe

  • All our buses have always had permanent full-height perspex screens around the driver’s cab and we’ve blocked off the speaking holes to limit the risk of infection. We give our drivers gloves, hand sanitisers and wipes. Disposable masks are available at every garage for drivers to wear if they want to. Our drivers don’t handle money - we ask for exact change to be dropped in the chute. Or you can pay using contactless bank cards, Swift card or even buy and use a ticket on your mobile.

Things you can do to travel safely with us

Plan your journey

  • Make a plan - allow extra time for your journey.
  • Always check our timetables before you travel. You can also download the Network West Midlands app to see real-time bus information, available on android and iphone.
  • If you can choose when to travel, here is a handy little tool to show the times of day when our buses are at their quietest.
  • Carry and use hand sanitiser when you travel to stay safe outside your home and protect other people. Hand sanitiser is not provided on the bus.

At the stop

  • Try to keep 2 metres away from people not in your household while waiting in the queue.
  • To allow for social distancing, we are temporarily limiting the number of customers on board our buses. If your bus is showing a BUS FULL sign, please be prepared to wait for the next one. Be kind and look out for other customers who might need to travel more urgently than you.
  • Let people off the bus before you get on and try to keep a safe distance between you, the driver and other customers.

On your journey

  • You need to wear a face covering when using public transport. It’s the law, and it’s an added level of safety for you and your fellow customers. Some customers will not need to wear a face covering - children under 11, and people with certain health and non-visible conditions. Drivers will be exercising reasonable discretion when applying this rule. You don't have to prove your exemption but if you like you can print out an exemption card from the TfWM website or if you have a sunflower lanyard you can show that. The card is something available for people to use if it makes communicating with the driver easier, or makes you feel more comfortable about travelling. Under these government regulations, our drivers do not need to wear face coverings while they're in the cab behind the screen. Here are some FAQs on face coverings and here's an easy guide on how to make a face covering with an old T-shirt.
  • Pay by contactless card, travelcard or mobile ticket where possible. If you need to pay with cash please use the exact amount as we are unable to give change.
  • Please sit in the window seat. If you are travelling as a household or other bubble please sit together. If you can, please sit so that the seats in front of and behind you are empty. Some seats will be labelled out of use and please don't sit directly behind the driver.
  • To enable safe social distancing, please do not stand on the bus. Check to see if there is a suitable seat upstairs on double deck buses.
  • Once you’re on the bus, open a window, if you can, to help with ventilation and fresh air circulation. 
  • As it gets colder please wrap up warm for your journey.    

We are here for you

If this is your first time travelling with us or it is your first trip for a while, we've put together a handy guide to help you along every step of your journey with us.

If you need to restart, pause or cancel your bus pass please click here

If you have any questions about our services, tickets or need more information click here

Our social media team is ready to chat between 8am-6pm Monday-Sunday. 

Our bus pass support team is open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.  

Our customer services team is available to help 8am-6pm Monday-Friday.   

Our travelshop opening times can be found here. Please remember you must wear a face covering when in one of our travelshops as per the government guidance (unless an exemption applies). Our staff do not need to wear a face covering while working behind the screen. If you can you should purchase tickets by downloading the mTicket app, buying online or using contactless or cash onboard the bus.

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