Ipswich Buses is telling its passengers they should continue to wear masks and observe social distancing where possible on Monday as the nation enters 'Freedom Day'.

General manager Steve Bryce said it was vital that passengers and staff should be protected from Covid as much as possible on the buses - and that they should feel safe when using them to get about.

He has put up notices on vehicles and online saying that the company was encouraging all customers to continue wearing face coverings when traveling.

Mr Bryce said: "We appreciate that some customers may not be able to wear a face covering and would like to remind everyone that not all disabilities or illnesses are visible so therefore we ask everyone to be kind and respectful to each other.

"When traveling on our buses you can also help to keep yourself and others safe when you use the hand sanitiser when you board and alight our buses, try to sit in a forward-facing seat and keep windows open in the vehicle to help maximise airflow.

"Our drivers will still be sat behind a plastic screen to minimise the risk of transmission between of staff and customers, and all drivers are temperature checked each day before they start work.

"Our staff also have access to lateral flow tests that give a negative or positive Covid result within minutes if there is any concern that they maybe experiencing Covid symptoms."

Behind the scenes the company is carrying out our enhanced level of cleaning which includes the daily wiping of all touch points and the weekly fogging of our buses with antibacterial fog.

Its posters say:

· Allow More Time– Plan you journey in advance as your journey may take longer than normal and you must allow sufficient time if your journey involves changing buses or on to different forms of transport.

· Check Your Bus– Use our Capacity Checker to see how quiet or busy your bus may be, which is available on the Ipswich Buses app. We encourage you to wait for a later bus if you feel you cannot keep your distance from other people. You may consider getting on or off the bus at the previous or next stop, if it is quieter.

· Stay Safe– Follow government guidance and the onboard signage when traveling on Ipswich Buses including paying by contactless or the Ipswich Buses App if you can. Please remember to follow our safer travel guidance.

Other transport operators, including rail company Greater Anglia have already issued guidance to passengers about what to do after Monday and are urging them to continue to wear masks on busy services and to observe social distancing if possible.