First Bus says drivers will leave passengers at the side of the road once vehicle is a quarter full

First Bus drivers will begin to count passengers to ensure the service runs with reduced occupancy (Picture: PA)

Buses will run with only a quarter capacity to comply with social distancing rules, a major operator has announced.

First Bus, which runs services across Britain, will leave passengers at the side of the road once this quota has been reached.

It said drivers will begin counting the number of people getting on and off its vehicles from Monday after reducing the space for commuters by 75 per cent.

The news comes as the Government relaxed lockdown measures in England last week but asked the nation to only make essential journeys.

Passengers who are able to board will be directed to use seats at an “appropriate distance” from each other, according to First Bus.

Dave Lynch, chief information officer of parent company FirstGroup, said: “Since the Government’s announcements last week, we have been working round the clock to find ways to innovate so that on our buses we can ensure safe, socially distanced space for our passengers.

The operator runs lots of services across the UK (PA)

“We are immensely proud that we have been able to develop this new system so quickly.

“We fully support the Government’s guidelines and urge passengers to only travel if their journey is essential.”

Drivers will count passengers using a device added to their ticket machine, developed by Ticketer.

John Clarfelt, the company’s chief executive, said the “groundbreaking technology” will be “vital for drivers” as demand for public transport increases over the coming weeks.