Changes to TFL Bus Capacity from Monday 17th May

From a TFL email received today:

In practice, are buses now still limiting numbers? I took 4 journeys on 185 yesterday and on none of them was the 30 limit observed. Downstairs, we were standing (not socially distanced, as there wasn’t room) and upstairs I saw people standing as well because each pair of seats had at least one person sitting in it.
The drivers are between a rock and a hard place - they want to conform to the rules but also (I guess) don’t want to leave people at bus stops.

I wonder how long the doubling of the (official) bus capacity will last, given the underlying pessimism of the govt announcements yesterday.

Well supposedly until Monday!

Standing on the upper deck though has never been allowed even pre-Covid, However once too many people are on the bus it’s almost impossible for a driver to force people off. I was on a bus a few months ago where the driver saw that some people who had just got on were standing upstairs and when they refused to get off he turned the ignition off and said he wasn’t going to move until they did! It inconvenienced the rest of us while there was a stand off but eventually other passengers got involved and they did eventually get off but it took several minutes!

My favourite (pre-COVID) were the ones who entirely ignored the recorded messages saying no standing on the upper deck or stairs despite them being played repeatedly.

I’ve seen a few buses going by with the ‘Bus Full’ sign in the window so guessing some drivers are trying to enforce the current limits. Suspect it must be harder where bus stops have several people waiting but only one or two spots available.

The ‘Bus Full’ signs can be confusing at times as quite often the drivers forget to change the sign round when they’re not full!

On a bus coming home from Bromley a week or so ago, a older woman was sitting down by the window. Another even older man got on (both had masks on) & sat down next to her as he was unable to stand. She really kicked off. Told him he couldn’t sit there, she was meeting her husband, she was meeting her friend!
I was standing in the buggy/wheelchair bit, when an older woman who was sitting down in front of there said to me “sit down here, I don’t mind” which I did. We both couldn’t believe the fuss the woman was making. They were both in their 70s, I would say & both wearing masks. A bit of common sense has to prevail sometimes I think.
If the rule has been lifted that we can sit 2 abreast now on the seats, I haven’t heard anything. Maybe it should start to be announced on the buses.
My bug bear & I have complained to TFL about this, is the fact that the windows are not all open. I have pulled the muscles in my right arm recently, which has been extremely painful & Im sure trying to open one of those windows, with 2 hands contributed. I have said that surely all the windows should be opened before the journey begins in the morning to encourage fresh air to circulate.

My original post was from an email I received from TFL last week. I haven’t been out since Saturday so I don’t know if there are announcements on the buses or not but I assume they would at least have removed the signage from the entry doors advising the maximum numbers for that bus!

I expect the windows are probably opened every morning if they’re not left open in the garage overnight but it doesn’t stop passengers closing them!

I hope your arm gets better soon Gill.

Thank you, it is slowly, & I agree about passengers closing them again. But I won’t be attempting to open them no matter what!
There were 2 women on a bus a while ago now (long before COVID) where one woman opened the window, & the other one behind her shut it. This went on for no longer than 5 minutes, before then bus driver stopped the bus & said word to the effect of will you please stop that & one of you sit somewhere else! Can’t remember what happened though!