Customers can continue to travel in confidence after prolonged testing of the places passengers and drivers regularly touch found zero traces of coronavirus.

Surfaces which our customers touch including handrails, push buttons on poles and the tops of seats were tested by an independent laboratory and all came back negative. 

Driver on-board touch points including bus doors, steering wheels and window handles were also all negative for traces of the coronavirus. As were multiple bus depot surfaces in staff kitchens and washrooms. 

More than 65 swab samples for the tests were collected across a six-month period at our Derby, Nottingham, Heanor, Langley Mill and Sutton in Ashfield depots. 

Jeff Counsell, Managing Director, said: "These rigorous tests have shown absolutely no sign of coronavirus on our buses or in our depots. 

"They significantly underline that travelling on our buses is safe and are clear evidence that the wide-ranging measures we've had in place throughout the pandemic have kept our buses Covid-secure. 

"It means our customers and drivers can continue to travel with great confidence thanks to our enhanced and robust multi-step cleaning regime, which has additional in-service cleans throughout each day. 

"By keeping windows open and using the hand sanitiser provided, as well as paying by mango or contactless cards and devices, travelling by bus is reassuringly safe."