London: the unlockening/relockening

[cupid_stunt]

Yesterday was the last day of the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' £10 discount scheme.

Wrong.

I've read (somewhere? ) that the Government scheme will also include Bank Holiday Monday (31st August) but I'm not really sure ......

Correct.

[Withdrawn] Get a discount with the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

From 3 to 31 August, get a 50% discount when you eat in at restaurants that are registered with the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme.

www.gov.uk

 

[Cerv]

Monday will suck for anyone working in catering won't it?
last day of the discount = big FOMO, plus bank holiday meaning more people are off work and looking for something to do. it's going to be a crazy last minute rush.

 

[Teaboy]

Just been out to a couple of site meetings in London. I was actually amazed by how quiet the roads still are compared to non-covid times. My route was from SW London up to Maida Vale and Kilburn. The route sat nav took me was a route you'd never normally do through the side roads of Kensington and Chelsea. No traffic jams and just the occasional waiting at red lights.

 

[bimble]

One for teuchter

50 miles of London bus lanes to be banned to cars 24/7

Fifty miles of bus lanes on London’s main roads are to be enforced on a 24/7 basis to discourage a car-led recovery from coronavirus.

www.standard.co.uk

Good idea far as I can see.

 

[Sunray]

One for teuchter

50 miles of London bus lanes to be banned to cars 24/7

Fifty miles of bus lanes on London’s main roads are to be enforced on a 24/7 basis to discourage a car-led recovery from coronavirus.

www.standard.co.uk

Good idea far as I can see.

Does nothing.

People are so petrified about the £90 fine for going into a bus lane most don't use them at any time already.

 

[bimble]

Does nothing.

People are so petrified about the £90 fine for going into a bus lane most don't use them at any time already.

Not sure about that, added together I’ve probably spent a month sat on London buses which are stuck in traffic and fair bit of that is bus lanes full of cars and vans. People who drive the same roads every day know the bus lane hours.

 

[Winot]

Does nothing.

People are so petrified about the £90 fine for going into a bus lane most don't use them at any time already.

Although as you say there are some drivers who don’t use bus lanes when they could, there are significant numbers who do use them and it has a significant effect on how safe it feels to cycle.

I base this on 25 years experience of cycling home to Brixton along Clapham and Brixton roads. There is a big difference after 7pm. This will be a gamechanger for cyclists.

 

[sparkybird]

I was wondering if they'll remove the parking in them? Normal there's some loading bays or short stay outside of the 7-10 am and 4-7 pm hours. I guess they can't because so many businesses rely on these to get stock in?

 

[Winot]

I was wondering if they'll remove the parking in them? Normal there's some loading bays or short stay outside of the 7-10 am and 4-7 pm hours. I guess they can't because so many businesses rely on these to get stock in?

Good point - not sure.

 

[hash tag]

Here also!

The enforcement of bus lanes is madness. There are some that say Monday to Friday, 7 -10, some 7-10 & 4-7 Mon to Fri, 7-10 & 4-7 Mon to Sat and
so on which is just so confusing. In some ways, making all bus lanes 24/7 makes sense

50 miles of London bus lanes to be banned to cars 24/7

Fifty miles of bus lanes on London’s main roads are to be enforced on a 24/7 basis to discourage a car-led recovery from coronavirus.

www.standard.co.uk

 

[marty21]

Does nothing.

People are so petrified about the £90 fine for going into a bus lane most don't use them at any time already.

I agree, I never drive in bus lanes whatever the time , thanks to a £40 fine on the Holloway Road about 15 years ago .

 

[nagapie]

Buses packed to pre lockdown rush hour level. Have to be, how else we going to get to work and school.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Buses packed to pre lockdown rush hour level. Have to be, how else we going to get to work and school.

Not yet. They are certainly getting fuller but the drivers are enforcing the numbers on the routes I take at least. There is still a tiny fraction of the normal numbers using public transport.

 

[nagapie]

Not yet. They are certainly getting fuller but the drivers are enforcing the numbers on the routes I take at least. There is still a tiny fraction of the normal numbers using public transport.

This was not the case on Tulse Hill at 8am. Buses were packed and, as always, still people who couldn't get on them.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

'Packed to pre-lockdown rush hour level' I would think of as full of standing passengers on the lower deck?

(Are we still not meant to have standing passengers? If so, I guess that's why there's people left at the bus stops...)

 

[Mrs Miggins]

This was not the case on Tulse Hill at 8am. Buses were packed and, as always, still people who couldn't get on them.

Wow really? I get on 2 different routes from Brixton Hill every day at 8am and 2 routes home from wherever I am working that day. I've been getting loads of buses when out and about at the weekends as well.

There's hardly anyone at the bus stops and everyone has got a seat to themselves. Nothing like the pre-COVID hordes. Normally there would be 20 people at least at the bus stop I use in the morning and several busses would pass before anyone could get on. There's maybe a maximum of 5 others there these days. Up from being literally just me at the height of lockdown.

I guess some routes are busier than others.

Are people being packed on all standing like in pre-COVID days or are the numbers being enforced?

 

[nagapie]

Wow really? I get on 2 different routes from Brixton Hill every day at 8am and 2 routes home from wherever I am working that day. I've been getting loads of buses when out and about at the weekends as well.

There's hardly anyone at the bus stops and everyone has got a seat to themselves. Nothing like the pre-COVID hordes. Normally there would be 20 people at least at the bus stop I use in the morning and several busses would pass before anyone could get on. There's maybe a maximum of 5 others there these days. Up from being literally just me at the height of lockdown.

I guess some routes are busier than others.

Are people being packed on all standing like in pre-COVID days or are the numbers being enforced?

Brixton Hill has a lot more buses than Tulse Hill. No, drivers had stopped enforcing or most people wouldn't be able to get on a bus.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Brixton Hill has a lot more buses than Tulse Hill. No, drivers had stopped enforcing or most people wouldn't be able to get on a bus.

I'm waiting for that to happen on the routes I take to be honest. I guess it's only a matter of time.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

And lo - it has come to pass. Had to watch 2 x 133s go by as they were full

I've felt safe on public transport up to now but I can see that eroding very quickly.

When I say full, I mean COVID full.

 

[ska invita]

My train the busiest today since lockdown... Stil only around 40% normal use id guess

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Strange isn't it? I mean why today? It's a Wednesday. Why are there suddenly loads more people today?

My train the busiest today since lockdown... Stil only around 40% normal use id guess

 

[scifisam]

Strange isn't it? I mean why today? It's a Wednesday. Why are there suddenly loads more people today?

Schools restarting the term mid-week, and parents then going back to the office, probably.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Inset days at schools for staff training, Year 7's back first, then staggered/all years back - and therefore more parents back to work, too. bundle

 

[William of Walworth]

More generally about Wednesday being busy ....

A lot of part-timers prefer to work mid-week days, at least in normal circumstances.

But if they're still able to do it**, those who prefer to work Tuesdays and Wednesdays rather than Mondays and Fridays ( ) will probably retain that preference .....


**(if they can -- really big if .... )

 

[Cloo]

Had to go into the West End for a medical appointment (as none available near me since all related healthcare moved out of being managed by my actual local trust ) at lunchtime - traffic was much lower than usual, but Pret and its ilk seemed pretty busy to me and quite a lot of people around. That said, some places, like Itsu were still shut due to not seeing there as being enough custom. I guess maybe places were only busy because a percentage are shut at the mo.

 

[quimcunx]

Is it time for london the relockening thread yet?

 

[Sue]

Is it time for london the relockening thread yet?

God knows. I still don't understand what this new (easier to understand apparently) six thing is.

 

[elbows]

Is it time for london the relockening thread yet?

Personally I would wait till the next obvious moment where the mood music changes, pressure builds (including the pressure inside our heads) and the next big press conference announcing new measures looms large.

Because if we wait, we could end up using the word curfew in the title of a new thread:

At the bottom of the government's guidance issued today, there is a rather bland, technical sounding paragraph:

"The government will restrict the opening hours of premises, initially in local lockdown areas, with the option of national action in the future. This has been introduced in Bolton, following a steep rise in cases, and will seek to restrict activities that may lead to a spread in the virus."

In other words, if the rise in cases doesn't slow, the government could bring in a national curfew on opening hours, a more radical step.

Government sources emphasise this is not about to happen.

But by laying out the option, it's clear the 'rule of 6' could be followed by more radical steps.

from Ministers change heart over Covid restrictions

 

[Miss-Shelf]

If only a clear message happens before uni returns. It's an absolute arse ache trying to find ways to allow all students to be at home or on a socially distanced campus when there were never enough rooms even without SD rules...
A partial lockdown would be SO much simpler and we could focus on pedagogy, teaching and pastoral support and not rooming, rooming, rooming

 

[nyxx]

I rely on being able to do any in person shopping late, as late as possible given the shops opening hours. Means the shops are much quieter. No need to queue & much less pressure on space inside.

If there’s a curfew on shop opening times it’d make things a lot less covid safe for me.