Fellow passengers blast "ignorant and selfish" few barging on to Northamptonshire buses

Passengers saluted Northamptonshire's bus drivers and laid into the "ignnorant and selfish" few ignoring safety pleas and bundling to get on services during the Covid-19 lockdown.

And the public consensus seems to be for wearing facemasks to be made compulsory on trains and buses as the county slowly starts returning to work.

Video posted on social media showed a scrum balttling to board early-morning Stagecoach services in Northampton town centre, most of them not wearing anything on their faces to help stop the spread of the deadly bug/

And it drew a barrage of comments on the Chronicle & Echo's Facebook page.

Paula Marriott posted: "I feel sorry for the drivers, I wouldn't let these people on if they can't queue properly. Kids have more common sense than some adults.

And Dan Hardiker added: "People have been told keep social distancing. How is it not their responsibility to do just that?

"Are we children that need everything spelling out for us?

"Surely the response should be to make those ignorant and selfish people responsible for their actions, not pass that responsibility on to organisations like Stagecoach who are already doing their best to facilitate social distancing as best as they can."

"It's going to take us all working together to get through this and absolving individuals of their role in this doesn't seem right."

Another post said: "This is a bunch of idiots who get the No 55 bus to Swan Valley. They've always been rude and egotistical and your requests will be ignored. They have no idea how to queue they think barging is acceptable!

"I feel for the drivers who have to deal with these d***heads on a daily basis."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced people — including those in construction or manufacturing — should be encouraged to return to work but he stopped short of telling people not to use public transport or they must wear facemasks.

He warned: "You should avoid public transport if at all possible because we must and will maintain social distancing.

"When you do go to work, if possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle."

And Government guidance said travellers should "aim to wear a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet, for example on public transport or in some shops."

But travellers here want the Government to go further.

Anya Dunn said: " Maybe If the Government are going to allow people to use public transport it should be a rule they can only use it if they wear masks. Or the bus company puts a sign in all the buses; ‘NO MASK NO JOURNEY‘.

And Karen Langley-Horgan added: "Face masks on public transport should be made law. No mask, no transport."

More people are likely to be heading back to work on Monday and one poster fears what a spike in demand for buses could mean.

Sheryl Wilkinson said: "Stagecoach will end up putting all the buses back on the road and resorting back to normal timetable. I give it two weeks then before coronavirus is racing to the second peak."