Wiltshire Council is advising anyone needing to use a bus to make essential journeys during the next few weeks to check to see if the bus times have changed.

With most people following Government advice to stay at home, fewer people are travelling by bus and so most bus companies are introducing temporary bus timetables that more accurately match the availability of drivers.

Most bus services are already running reduced services.

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council leader, said: “In normal circumstances, the last thing we would want to see are bus services becoming less frequent, but with most passengers heeding the Government’s instruction to stay at home, it is unrealistic to expect bus operators to run lots of empty buses.

“We have therefore worked with the bus companies to ensure that wherever possible, bus services still provide journeys that are needed for essential travel, and we will be pressing them to quickly reinstate the full timetables as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.

“I would also ask key workers to get in touch with the council’s passenger transport unit if they find that they can no longer travel to work by bus because the timetable has changed.”

People can contact Wiltshire Council’s Passenger Transport Unit by emailing buses@wiltshire.gov.uk or calling 01225 718080.

For the latest timetable, passengers are advised to contact their local bus operator or visit their websites, or contact the wiltshire passenger transport unit. Wiltshire Council’s dedicated Covid-19 page can be found at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-coronavirus