Let’s look after each other

We continue to work with the Government and wider industry to ensure we are following the latest advice to keep our customers and staff safe on our buses.

We recognise that buses play a significant role in many of our customers’ lives; in connecting you with communities and places of work. We remain focused on continuing to serve you, wherever and whenever it is safe and operationally possible for us to do so.

Latest Government advice is to only use public transport when absolutely essential, due to limited capacity in the system to enable social distancing. You should consider walking, cycling and all other forms of transport before using public transport at this time. If you do need to use public transport allow extra time as travel may take longer than normal on some routes due to reduced capacity and social distancing measures.

Please be aware that Swansea Bus Station is still currently closed. Services will depart from St Mary’s Church and Caer Street until further notice.

Our Special Timetables are under constant review at present, following feedback from our customers and service demand. Thanks for bearing with us while we monitor service levels and make changes where necessary.

 

What timetables are in operation?
We have made changes to our services to better support key workers on essential journeys, and to help manage reduced capacity due to the social distancing measures we have in place following Government guidance. Details are shown below. Please be aware that printed bus timetables at bus stops or on the roadside are unlikely to show our current timetables, for the most up to date timetables and services please use our website or the First Bus App.

Are there any imminent timetable changes?
We will be making changes to our services on the 28th June. The bus service details below on this page will be kept up-to-date; please keep checking this page for updates.

From the 28th June the following changes will be made:

In Swansea

• Service 12 will be reduced from 30 minutes to hourly. We are reintroducing an hourly Service 13 to work opposite Service 12 and to keep a 30 minute service in Townhill. This will see a return to the clockwise and anticlockwise service.
• Service 20 will operate via Ridgeway and Broadmead outbound to expand the route.
• Service 29 route will operate through Brynmill to expand the route.
• Service 31 will operate via Parc Gwernfadog inbound to expand the route.

In Carmarthen

• Service 111 will have extra a.m. journeys 0705 from Llanelli and 0815 from Swansea. Evening departure times have been slightly adjusted to give even departure times.

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We have reintroduced some of the services that we had to stop as we went into lockdown and increased frequencies on some of our busier routes.

We are responding to Government advice, as well as industry-led best practise measures to enable our customers and staff to maintain social distancing on public transport. This means we are only able to take 25% capacity on our buses, but to support this we are allocating our double decker buses to some of our busiest routes, Services 4, 25, 36, 87 and X6. We will continue to monitor customer levels and react appropriately.

To view full details of services in your area, please select from these links:

• Swansea Area
• Neath Port Talbot
• Bridgend County
• Carmarthen
• Pembrokeshire

First Cymru is responding to Government advice, as well as industry-led best practise measures to enable our customers and staff to maintain social distancing on public transport. You will have noticed additional steps being taken to protect you all and our drivers.

Please watch our videos for information and advice for travelling on the bus during the coronavirus situation:

Travel safely on our buses: Social distancing and travel information: Video ⇒

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf4rgmHZQq4&feature=youtu.be

Social distancing information for customers who are visually impaired: Video ⇒

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WkjZ7PeLzI&feature=youtu.be

First Bus App: Know where your bus is and how many seats are available. Now includes wheelchair spaces: Video ⇒

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GaXIlXHctk&feature=youtu.be

Cleaning on our buses: Video ⇒

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51PA07nXCUc&feature=youtu.be

Who may and may not travel on your buses?
The government advice is to consider other forms of transport before using public transport and to travel safely.  People intending to travel should check the appropriate government advice for the region of the UK they live in.

There are currently no restrictions on passenger type and everyone is welcome on our buses if their journey is necessary, they follow government and First Bus guidance, and they are not feeling unwell.  Anyone who is suffering from coronavirus symptoms including a persistent cough or high temperature, should not travel, and should follow public health guidelines.

With operators and customers working together we will provide a bus network, for those who need it, that is safe and allows everyone to complete their essential journeys.

What assistance is provided for disabled passengers?
Support for disabled passengers remains the same as before coronavirus, see here for more details ⇒

We offer our full support to wheelchair users who want to travel with us.  While many of our seats are blocked with signs or tape, our wheelchair spaces remain available. All our buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair users. Please ask the driver for assistance if you require any help. If the driver needs to leave their cab to provide passenger assistance they will wear a face covering.

Wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely.

• If the ramp is required please keep a 2 metre distance whilst the driver puts the ramp in place.
• The driver will keep the time they are within 2 metres of you to an absolute minimum.

What steps is First Bus taking to maximise social distancing, at stops and on board?
On our buses we are operating at a reduced capacity with around 1 in 4 seats being available. It is therefore likely that that you might see ‘Bus Full’ signs as some services reach their revised capacity more quickly.

If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past, it is likely it has reached its reduced seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so you may need to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait. With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

In addition, you will also see further measures in place to help you to adhere to social distancing guidelines. These include:

• New capacity signs by the entrance of each bus
• Seat signs and tape to clearly show where you should/shouldn’t sit to maintain a safe distance
• Reminders to be considerate of other passengers
• No longer allowing standing

To help keep you safe we’re also taking the following action:

• Thorough cleaning including regular disinfection of all grab rails and poles, entrance door handles, window ledges and other touchpoints
• Encouraging good hand hygiene amongst all our staff
• Embedded social distancing, and provided personal protective equipment such as gloves and hand sanitiser to all our drivers
• Displaying NHS advice on our buses wherever it is practical to do so.

Do bus passengers have to wear face coverings/masks?
The UK Government has stated that from 15 June it is mandatory for passengers to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport in England only. In Wales, First Cymru are recommending those customers who are able to wear a face covering or mask do so, but they are not compulsory for travelling.

What additional cleaning is taking place?
Our buses are comprehensively cleaned every night by our expert team of cleaners, including regular disinfection of all grab rails and poles, entrance door handles, window ledges and other touchpoints.

Will you be providing face masks or hand sanitiser for passengers?
No, customers should use their own sanitiser and face covering.

In order to maximise social distancing, when is best to travel and when is best to avoid?
There is usually sufficient capacity on our buses but it’s best to plan your travel in advance.  Our busiest period are morning and afternoon, it is usually quieter between 11am and 3pm. Monday and Friday are also our busiest days, if you can travel midweek this will help ensure we provide our services to as many customers and key workers as possible while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

We also advise that you try to travel before the last service of the day, to avoid the risk of the last service bus being full. We will not be able to run extra buses after the last service bus.

What happens if the bus I want to catch is full?
On our buses we are operating at a reduced capacity with around 1 in 4 seats being available. It is therefore likely that that you might see ‘Bus Full’ signs as some services reach their revised capacity more quickly.

If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past, it is likely it has reached its reduced seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so you may need to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait. With the latest version of the First Bus App you can now track your bus live on a map and it also displays how many seats are available on each bus.

What happens if the last service of the day is full?
We advise that you try to travel before the last service of the day, to avoid the risk of the last service bus being full. We will not be able to run extra buses after the last service bus.

Are you still accepting cash on your buses? 
We encourage all of our customers to buy tickets using the First Bus App or to pay by contactless card on board. If you are paying with cash, please try to use the exact fare.

 

Which First Bus ticket offices and customer service centres are open and which are closed?
All travel shops are currently closed.  For customer service enquiries you can call us on 0345 646 0707.  Our lines are open from 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri. Our quieter times are usually between 11am and 3pm so you may prefer to call then as there will be less of a wait to speak to one of our Customer Support Agents.

If you prefer, you can fill out the contact form here instead ⇒  We will get back to you as soon as we can but please be aware that for lost property enquiries our response time is usually within 3 working days  for all other enquiries this could take up to 14 days.

Ways you can help include:

• Only travelling by bus if your journey is essential
• Planning your travel in advance, avoiding peak periods. Between 11am and 3pm on weekdays and after 10am on Saturdays our services tend to be quieter. Monday and Friday are our busiest days of the week.
• Wear a face covering when on board
• Sitting in a window seat, leaving an empty row of seats in front and behind
• On our double deckers, consider sitting upstairs (if you are able), to give those with mobility issues or travelling with children priority on the lower deck
• Paying with contactless or purchasing your ticket in advance on our Mobile App
• Using the correct change if you must pay by cash
• No longer eating or drinking whilst on board
• Leaving windows open to aid ventilation

Please stay up-to-date with the latest coronavirus information by using the NHS or Department of Health and Social Care websites.

• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds.
• Use hand sanitiser whenever soap and water are unavailable.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then place the tissue into the bin straight away.
• We encourage all customers to switch to contactless payments and purchasing tickets via our Mobile app where possible. We appreciate your assistance in helping us limit the spread of coronavirus.

Please find information and FAQs below on what we are doing to provide a safe operating environment for customers and employees:

• Q.  Is it safe to travel on a bus? Yes, and with operators and customers working together we will can provide a bus network, for those who need it, that is safe and allows everyone to complete their essential journeys. We have robust procedures in place to reduce the spread of Coronavirus across our business and services. In line with UK Government advice, we are continuing with the systematic daily deep cleaning of our vehicles and facilities and screens are fitted to all cabs, separating drivers from passengers. Drivers also have access to gloves and hand sanitiser and all staff are encouraged to wash their hands regularly.

To help with this we are asking our customers to:

• Only travel if your journey is necessary
• Please be aware of others who may have a priority need to travel
• Look out for ‘Bus full due to social distancing’ messages on the destination display, which means the bus might not stop and be prepared to allow extra time or waiting to complete your journey

• Q.  How will social distancing work on the bus? In order to maintain social distancing between our customers, our buses will be operating at a reduced capacity, with around 1 in 4 seats being available. This means there is some chance that not all passengers will be able to board the first bus that arrives. There may be situations where you can’t keep a suitable distance from people, for example when boarding or alighting, on busier services, at busier times of day and when walking through interchanges. In addition to the guidance above, in these cases you should:
  • Avoid physical contact
  • Try to face away from other people
  • Keep the time you spend near others as short as possible
  • Be aware of the surfaces you touch and be careful not to touch your face
  • Wait for passengers to get off first before you board
  • Please respect other peoples’ space while travelling
  • Be aware of other customers who may need the seat or extra space more than you such as pregnant, older and disabled people.
• Q.  Will key workers get priority boarding? No, but our service network has been prioritised around the need of key workers.
• Q.  Will I need to leave extra time for travel? While we are working hard to increase the number of services, passengers should leave extra time for their journeys. You should consider walking, cycling and all other forms of transport before using public transport at this time. To help with this we are asking our customers to only travel if your journey is necessary.

• Q.  Do drivers and passengers have to wear a face mask on bus services? In Wales, face masks or coverings are recommended when travelling on public transport, but not mandatory. Drivers are not required to wear a face covering or mask while driving due to the driver being in the driver’s cab and having a screen as protection for both drivers and customers. Also a face covering or mask can become a distraction while driving, and if the driver wears glasses then there is a risk of glasses being steamed up while driving. If the driver needs to leave the cab to provide passenger assistance they will wear a face covering.

(In England, from 15 June it is mandatory for passengers to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport. Please see here for more details ⇒)

• Q.  Is the driver responsible for managing social distancing? Please note the seating measures we have introduced are advisory for customers and we will not be asking our drivers to enforce them or leave their cab area, unless operating the manual bus ramp. Our driver will help advise customers when boarding where seats are available.

• Q. Why is my bus not stopping to pick up passengers? Social distancing measures mean that we have to reduce the capacities on our buses. It is likely that, as these new capacities are first introduced, not all passengers will be able to board the first bus that arrives.  You might see ‘Bus full due to social distancing’ messages on the destination display, which means the bus may not stop.

• Q. What happens if the last bus of the day is full? We are monitoring the numbers of passengers on our services daily. So far we are not seeing peak numbers on the last journey of the day, so this remains a low risk. We will continue to monitor the situation, and if we identify any services where the last journey is getting close to capacity we will look at suitable solutions.

• Q.  Will you be providing face masks or hand sanitiser for passengers? No, customers should use their own sanitiser and face covering. Government advice on using and making a face covering
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering

• Q. Are you still accepting cash on your buses? Yes, so that we can be flexible for customers who need to travel. There is no government advice currently to stop accepting cash. However, we encourage all of our customers to buy tickets using the First Bus App or to pay by contactless card on board. If you are paying with cash, please try to use the exact fare..

Download the First Bus App:

  

• Q. What happens if my travel plans change or I am unable to travel due to this infection? Our general Terms and Conditions still apply but we will look at each customer’s situation. The best way to contact us to talk about your ticket or change to travel plans is set out below – rest assured we’ll look into your enquiry and come back to you as soon as we can.
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  For mobile tickets (mTickets) bought in our app, please email our mTicket support team mticket-support@firstgroup.com.  Please include the mobile number and email address associated with your mTicket account .  Alternatively, please call us on 0330 094 7577.
• For subscription tickets, please email first.etickets@firstgroup.com and include the email address and telephone number associated with your subscription.
• For tickets you’ve bought on our website to print at home (eTickets, e.g. airport services), please call: 0345 646 0707 and select option 2 then option 2.
• For all paper tickets, please call 0345 646 0707 and select option 2 then option 3 or email us at: SSC-TicketEnquiries@firstgroup.com

• Q.  Does social distancing impact if I will be able to board a bus with a pram or pushchair? We are asking customers with a pushchair or buggy to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair or with restricted mobility. This may mean that you have to leave extra time or wait to complete your journey.
• Q.  Does social distancing impact if I will be able to board a bus in my wheelchair? We are asking customers to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair and will do all we can to prioritise access to the wheelchair space for a wheelchair user.
• Q.  Can I use a bus if I am feeling unwell? Government advises that people shouldn’t travel if they are suffering from coronavirus symptoms including a persistent cough or high temperature and should follow public health guidelines.

• Q.  Why is my driver not wearing a mask while in their cab? The primary reason for this is due to the face covering or mask becoming a distraction while driving. Also, if the driver wears glasses then there is a risk of glasses being steamed up while driving. A face covering or mask is not required while driving due to the driver being in the driver’s cab and having an assault screen as protection.

• Q.  Why is my driver wearing a mask when they help vulnerable people? Our drivers have to leave their cab when helping vulnerable customers and so are following the advice to wear a face covering as they are now in an open area of the bus and briefly in closer contact with the passenger.

• Q.  Are you making hand gel available to your drivers? Yes, we were one of the first bus operators to do this and we have made hand sanitizer products and gloves available for all staff.

We have also seen a big reduction in customers contacting our Customer Service Centre.   We’re absolutely committed to being there for our customers, but, in line with reduced demand, we have revised our contact centre hours.  We’ve looked at when customers are contacting us and have changed our working patterns so that we can be there when you need us most.  Customers can contact us by phone on 0345 646 0707 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and we’re available on Twitter 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-5pm weekends and bank holidays. Please see our Help and Support page for contact details.

The coronavirus situation is fast moving but you will always find the most up to date information on these pages of our website.

Please be aware that due to short notice changes our First Bus App may not be fully updated with live times and we would ask customers to check our website for further information.

These arrangements may change at short notice as the situation develops and we will continue to review our level of service provision.

If you have any feedback on our current revised timetables, in particular for key workers requirements, please get in touch by filling out the online form.

For our general information please see our main Coronavirus information page »