Keeping Keyworkers Moving

6 Apr 2020

 

Here at Dew’s we watched the coronavirus pandemic approach with apprehension like every other business. Providing travel for UK and European tours travel we saw the crisis creeping towards us. First the Chinese organised tours were cancelled, then the ski resorts in Italy closed, then Switzerland; It soon became clear that it was heading our way and the Coaching and Bus Industry was going to be hit hard.

Three big questions arose – what can we do to help our staff, what can we do to ensure the survival of our company and what can we do to help our community at this time?

The answer was to do what we do best – we keep running buses.

Our school bus fleet are transporting keyworkers children to and from schools where they have placements. Our service bus team are operating a normal schedule, ensuring that those who rely on public transport to get to their keyworker jobs or essential appointments can still do so. Our coaching team are moving temporary workers needed for the extra food production and warehouse roles that have emerged in response to the crisis. We have restructured our staff, keeping the vulnerable safe and protecting jobs for when this is over.

We couldn’t be prouder of our workforce right now. They have accepted the changes and risks and continue to operate at our high standard. We have implemented strenuous hygiene standards for whilst on our premises and on the road. Our workshop team continue to keep the buses running and maintained whilst adhering to social distancing rules (as demonstrated by our workshop manager Tom!) and Operations are meeting the challenge of a daily changing schedules.

With the pandemic about to peak, the PM hospitalised with the virus and no chance of the lockdown ending soon we feel it more important than ever that Dew’s continues to do as much as we can to serve our community as best we can.