BUS and rail passengers should wear face masks and avoid peak time travel, the Government has confirmed.
In a cautious statement at Holyrood, Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson also said public transport capacity could fall to 10% of "normal" levels.
He also announced £30m of funding to allow wider pavements and roads in a bid to encourage walking and cycling.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week unveiled a four-phase plan to ease lockdown restrictions.
However, the next stage of the plan is focused on allowing outdoor activities and it offered little hope to public transport operators.
Bus, rail, tram and ferry use has plummeted because public transport, if used normally without restrictions, could easily lead to the virus spreading.
Speaking to MSPs today, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson provided details of a new plan as the country moved towards phase one of the routemap.
He repeated the First Minister’s message that home working remained the “default position” and urged travelling for leisure purposes by walking or cycling.
Matheson said physical distancing could result in overall capacity falling to between 10% and 25% of “normal”.
He also said transport operators are planning for increased cleaning measures at bus and rail stations, as well as at ferry terminals and airports.
He continued: “People should, and are expected to, wear face coverings as an additional measure when using public transport, and as a consideration to staff and fellow passengers.”
Matheson added that users of public transport should bring their own face masks.
On the ‘Spaces for People’ fund, which was initially worth £10m for councils to introduce temporary walking and cycling initiatives, he said:
“We have already received applications or expressions of interest exceeding the initial £10 million. So I am very pleased to announce today that we will be increasing this fund up to £30 million with immediate effect.”
The full resumption of transport services is scheduled to kick in at phase 4, which could be a medium or long term prospect.
During lockdown, the demand for public transport has fallen by 85% to 95% against the “normal” levels.
