COVID:19 - Safe Operating Procedures for Excursion Customers

Date Added 23/06/2020

It was good news today (Tuesday 23^rd June) that the government are now allowing hotels, pubs and restaurants to open on the 4th July.  This is a great step forward for us all and we’re excited about welcoming customers back on board!  With excursions, we’ll be looking to operate as many of our excursions as possible, plus some extra specials from early July onwards.  But we do need to ensure the safety of our customers and staff so that customers have the confidence to travel again.  So here you can click on our our Safe Operation Procedure (SOP) for day excursions, which are based on the government guidelines released today.  Our revised excursion programme will be advertised  here on our site in the near future and we look forward to seeing you soon!

With regard to holidays you’ll remember that we are currently finalising our list of all holidays and Great Breaks, commencing this autumn and running right through Christmas, spring and next summer.  This is almost ready and will be launched very soon.  Also, this summer is only just beginning!  So we are planning to be up and running with tours from August onwards and we’ll provide more information about this exciting news soon! 

Here is our Safe Operating Procedure for Excursions

The government have today (Tuesday 23rd June) issued new guidelines that allow us to restart our excursions programme, albeit with precautions and limited passenger numbers on board. We want to ensure that while COVID:19 restrictions are in place you are still able to fully enjoy your day out with us. 

Throughout this pandemic period, and in this transition as we return to normal operation, it is very important that we all follow some simple guidelines to protect our staff, our passengers and anyone else that we may come into contact with as we carry out our excursions.

We are committed to proactively reducing the spread of any disease and maintain the health of our staff and passengers.  As such please ensure you and your fellow passengers follow this guide to help maintain the hygiene levels that we currently have in place to reduce the spread of any disease.

‘Comfort Stop’ and Coach Cleaning:

Our current enhanced cleaning procedure includes cleaning of all floors and seats, cleaning of all glass surfaces, mopping with disinfectant of all floor surfaces, disinfectant wiping of dash areas, driver controls and handles. It also includes cleaning all handrails, hand grabs, seat belt buckles, armrests and floors. It also includes vehicle anti-viral fogging on a weekly basis. 

How do I protect myself and my fellow passengers?

The following procedures comply with World Health Organisation guidelines and with the latest government guidelines as updated on Tuesday 23^rd June 2020.  The transmission of Coronavirus is primarily through people touching surfaces contaminated by the virus and then transferring that contamination to their mouth, eyes or nose. There is also a possibility of breathing in droplets expelled by another person when in close face to face contact.

The primary concern on board coaches is that of social distancing; passengers should keep their distance please from people outside their household, and we recognise that this is not always possible.  The key thing is not to be too close to people for more than a short amount of time. When around another person the biggest risk of infection is people in close ‘face to face’ positions.   

We can provide assurance and mitigation of these concerns; our normal front facing seating arrangements avoids ‘face to face’ proximity and the physical barrier of the high backed seats, plus the use of face coverings or masks will all help to ensure maximum mitigation of the dangers and maximum safety.

1.  When you arrive at our premises, you will be directed by our staff where to park.  They will be wearing face coverings.  Our ‘Comfort Stop’ toilet facilities will be available; please wash your hands of course - and maintain 2 metre social distancing whenever possible while using the facilities and while waiting to board.
2. You will be subject to a temperature check prior to boarding. It is generally accepted that 36.1C (97F) to 37.2C (99F) is the normal range for our bodies. Passengers with a high temperature will be requested not to travel, for the benefit of other passengers - and will receive a full refund from us.
3. We would appreciate that you wear a face covering when boarding and during the journey, preferably your own; however our driver will also have masks available. The entrance/exit on the offside of the coach may also be used for boarding and disembarking where it is safe to do so.
4. You will be asked to board just a few minutes before your departure time, in order to minimise the time that passengers spend on the coach once boarded. Please try to maintain 2 metre social distancing wherever possible, as you gather and when approaching and speaking with our driver. 
5.  Our driver will wear protective gloves and will have anti-bacterial gel available. You will be requested to sanitise your hands prior to boarding. Again, please ensure you observe social distancing while waiting to board. Your seat number may change because ideally passengers will be seated on alternate seats on each row wherever possible. Please also note that the toilet on board the coach will not be available while these measures are on place.  However rest assured that no journey will be longer than 2 hours without a comfort stop. 
6.  Passengers who live together in the same household, may sit together on a double seat. Where this occurs, the seat opposite, next to the aisle must not be used.  The front double seat immediately behind the driver is unfortunately not available for use.  
7. As part of our driver’s safety briefing he or she will advise that upon arrival at the destination he or she will be exiting first and that once he or she has left the vehicle then all passengers may safely disembark, starting from the front – please continue to observe social distancing while waiting to disembark.
8. Our driver will drive with the roof vents open, a plentiful supply of fresh air helps to prevent the spread of germs. Our coach air-conditioning system will also help to provide clean, filtered air.  He or she will also be wearing a face mask while driving.
9. Upon arrival at the destination, our driver will put the hazard warning lights on, disembark and ask you to alight.  Obviously he or she will maintain a helpful presence but will also observe self-distancing requirements. During your visit our driver will clean all touch points on the coach.  
10. During your visit and prior to returning to the coach for the return journey, please wash your hands and also when boarding the coach - observe social distancing and use the hand gel that is supplied on board.
11.  With regard to the exchange of such things as lost property, mobility aids etc, this will be carried out with full regard please to all social distancing and hygiene requirements. 

We appreciate that these precautions and procedures are somewhat onerous, however, and most importantly, we will ensure that you still have a most enjoyable day!  It is of course in all our interests to do what we can to prevent the spread of the virus. Should you require any further information or have any specific considerations and requirements then please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Thank you for your help and cooperation - and for booking with Johnsons.

(This document is dated 23^rd June 2020)