Public transport’s key test as UK heads back to work – The Yorkshire Post says

There’s now a willingness to take difficult decisions that was not always apparent when the PM was left fighting for his life.

But there’s also an acceptance, as the UK-wide death toll approaches 30,000, that the lockdown will have to be lifted very gradually, and in many phases, to limit the risk of further infections.

Yet, while Mr Johnson remains one of life’s optimists with an uncanny ability to maintain the nation’s morale, he also needs to harness the new-found spirit of togetherness that has served the country so well thus far.

His ambitions, shared by so many, need to be tempered by a realism that life will never be the same again, particularly in business, as society comes to terms with new norms.

As such, a key test of new working arrangements will be public transport – and, specifically, those rail and bus services that were already beset by overcrowding before any need for ‘social distancing’ had even been considered.

By taking all rail services under public control at the outset of this pandemic, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps can ensure that the Government’s wishes are followed.

Even with most people still working from home, he will need to look at how order is maintained in queues while making the economic case for extra rolling stock for a network already operating at capacity. In this regard, it could be argued that HS2 is even more pressing because of the number of extra trains that will be able to run.

But, first and foremost, Ministers must ensure 
that the needs of key workers, the real heroes of this hour, continue to come first. They need to remain front and centre of the Government’s plans to get Britain back to work without jeopardising public health.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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James Mitchinson

Editor