A millionaire Cabinet minister has claimed he'd board a packed bus or train to commute to work - even if he couldn't stay 2 metres apart.
Robert Jenrick said he would be prepared to board public transport to commute to work as the coronavirus lockdown is eased.
He acknowledged overcrowding was a problem, but said he would get on even a busy bus because "we have given guidance" on how to protect yourself.
But the cabinet minister was slammed for "irresponsible and dangerous" comments by the opposition with shadow housing secretary Steve Reed accusing him of being "negligent" by suggesting crowded buses and tubes were safe.
Mr Jenrick was slammed shortly after the UK locked down when it emerged he had driven 40 miles to visit his elderly parents - while the rest of the country was not able to do so.
The Housing Secretary, who owns several properties, faced criticism for moving around between them.
Despite representing the Nottinghamshire constituency of Newark, he travelled from London - where he had been working - to his family home in Herefordshire and then on to see his parents to deliver essentials including medicine.
Meanwhile, pictures of crowded tubes and buses have sparked fears that commuters could be putting themselves in danger by travelling to work.
There was a 10% increase in London Underground journeys early on Thursday compared with the same period last week, Transport for London (TfL) said.
Demand between 5am to 6am was up compared with last week but down from Wednesday.
It comes after the Prime Minister urged Brits to return to work but asked them to avoid public transport where possible.
Today the Housing Secretary was asked on Radio Five Live if he would be comfortable getting public transport - given how crowded many of the buses and tubes in London are.
Nicky Campbell asked: “You’ve seen the crush you’ve seen the throngs on the buses and the Tubes. If you had no alternative would you get on one of those buses? Would you get on one of those Tubes, on one of those trains today?”
Robert Jenrick: ”Yes, I would do.
“We have given guidance that to protect yourself and others you could choose to wear a face covering.
"You should be taking precautions like social distancing if you can - I appreciate that isn't always possible and some of the scenes... show buses and Tubes too full to be able to sit two metres apart and that's a problem.
"That's one of the reasons why we are trying to encourage as many people as can to drive to work - if they have a car - or to walk or cycle.
“And you do have to remember that 80% of people in this country get to work either in their own car or by walking and cycling. And there are more people who could do that.”
He added: “It is is right to cautiously reopen some parts of the economy and if you can’t work from home, you should start to plan to go back to work this week.”
The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "We've not seen any significant increase in travel in the last few days."
He said the government had set out "some very clear guidance when using public transport".
Shadow Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: "These irresponsible and dangerous comments are typical of the confusing advice the Government is giving at what is a critical time in the collective fight against this pandemic.
"For a Cabinet Minister to suggest full trains and buses are safe places to travel is simply negligent, and risks undoing the hard work we have all contributed to during the lockdown.
"We need clarity about travelling to work safely, not mixed messages that could end up spreading the virus and costing lives."
RMT union leader Mick Cash said: “This is dangerous nonsense from a Government Minister and shows that they couldn't care less about maintaining their own safety guidelines on buses, tubes and trains.
“Transport workers have died during this crisis in disproportionate numbers and it is appalling that Ministers seem prepared to condemn others to the same fate.
“It's one rule for MP's in parliament and another for transport staff and passengers and this union is not having it.”
Data published by location technology firm TomTom showed there was more traffic in the UK's major cities compared with the previous week.
The congestion level in London at 8am was 19%, up from 16% last week.
Other cities to experience an increase include Belfast (from 12% to 15%), Birmingham (from 9% to 11%), Cardiff (from 8% to 11%), Edinburgh (from 12% to 15%) and Manchester (from 10% to 13%).
The figures represent the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.
But transport systems are also struggling to get by without the money from fares they normally receive.
Today London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned that TFL would go under without government help.
He told LBC: "Unless the government today gives us confirmation of the grant that we need then the consequences could be quite severe and ramifications for all of us will be huge. So I’m hoping the government today agrees a grant for TfL to help us with us doing our bit to helping the virus but if they don’t I’m very concerned about the consequences going forward."
The Prime Minister's Spokesman insisted the government was engaging with the London mayor on the situation with London transport.
He describes the negotiation as in an "advanced stage".
