News
Trains and buses packed as people return to work but ignore social distancing
There has been a lot of confusion.
Last night the Prime Minister addressed the nation, giving an update on England’s path out of lockdown, with some measures set to begin this week.
While it was meant to clear things up, it has caused a great deal of confusion, with Mr Johnson telling certain workers they needed to go back to work if they can, but without using public transport, if possible.
As a result, trains and buses have been ‘packed’ this morning, with people seen ignoring social distancing guidelines and not wearing face masks.
The Prime Minister stated that anyone in England who cannot work from home – like those in construction and manufacturing – should now be ‘actively encouraged’ to return to work. However, they must avoid public transport if possible.
After facing a backlash over the confusion, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has now said that the government’s advice was actually meant to come into effect from Wednesday, not today.
He told LBC: “The advice is that those people who can work from home should continue to work from home.
“Where you can’t work from home, construction, manufacturing, those big economically valuable sectors, from Wednesday people should go back.
“And we’ve done a lot of work, employers have done a lot of work to make sure they can do so in what we’re calling Covid-secure settings. So the distancing, the hygiene, the other precaution measures are in place.”
People took to social media to highlight how ‘packed’ and unsafe they feel on public transport today, with one tweeting TFL to say: “Train is packed with construction workers and NOBODY is wearing a mask and NO social distancing as if there’s no danger.”
Another added: “The platform is packed, train every 20mins. I feel extremely uncomfortable on a packed train heading to work at a hospital with vulnerability patients”.
Up here in Manchester there were reports of buses being busy and people ignoring social distancing, while the number of passengers at Piccadilly Station has ‘noticeably risen’ this morning.
Sky News North of England correspondent Tom Parmenter tweeted: “One of the station managers for one of the train operators at Manchester Piccadilly tells me passenger numbers have noticeably risen this morning and there’s more people travelling with big suitcases compared to recent weeks (not key workers)”.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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