The Omnibus Society is inviting bus industry operators, employees and passengers to share their experiences during the pandemic. The industry organisation is looking for personal stories; funny, moving, inspirational and everything in between, for a special project titled “The Covid Journey”. Everyday stories of how lives changed will be curated, alongside the more inspiring ones, such as witnessing local residents clapping on a Thursday as their local bus passed along their street – recognising the passenger transport sector as essential workers.
The challenges for bus and coach operators to survive and operate during the last year and a half have been significant, not just for companies, but also for the staff involved. Recognising this, the Omnibus Society is keen to capture all these experiences to create a record for future generations.
At the launch of “The Covid Journey” Project, Omnibus Society President Martijn Gilbert said: “The pandemic has had a massive impact on the world of passenger transport and the people who work within in. Transport’s key workers, and the companies they represent, have had to adapt to many challenges. This has driven change in many areas, including some positives, and there is no doubt a whole lot more to come, but now seems like a good time for us all to reflect on our work and to document and celebrate this.”
The Omnibus Society’s “The Covid Journey” Project invites everyone to record their experiences during this period from the road passenger transport perspective. Operators and individual alike are encouraged to share their experiences, be that from the viewpoint of a driver, engineer, scheduler, depot allocator or even passenger. It is hoped to capture as many insights as possible to create a unique Road Passenger Industry Covid Jigsaw.
For full details on how to contribute please visit the Omnibus Society website www.omnibus-society.org. The Society is offering a first prize of £500 for the best submission and a second prize of £250. All the submissions will be stored as a resource at the Bus Archive and will be available for those interested in looking back at this period of social history in the future. It is also hoped that a selection will be published.