EXTRA public transport workers will be on hand in the Hunter today in anticipation of larger crowds on buses and trains.
The state government on Sunday announced it would deploy hundreds more workers to help customers as many workplaces resume and public school students begin heading back to classrooms.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said transport, security and marshalling officers would be out in force to ensure physical distancing and safety on the network.
"These marshalling response and support teams will monitor physical distancing, assist with crowd management and provide extra guidance to customers to help them move through stations and interchanges safely," Mr Constance said. "This could mean forming lines at bus stops or limiting the amount of people who can enter onto a platform."
20 teams will roll out in transport hubs and major centres including Newcastle, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains from today.
Transport for NSW chief operations officer Howard Collins said no student would be turned away from any public transport, even if that compromises physical distancing efforts.
Sanitisation and Hygiene Agile Response cleaners (SHARC), which have been operating at Bondi and Parramatta to clean buttons and card readers, are due to hit Newcastle in coming weeks.
More than 700 extra transport cleaners have been hired since March.
