Go North East is trialling the ‘Feet Seat’, a rear-facing seat that folds up when not being used, leaving a flat surface for passengers on the opposite seat to put their feet up.
Three buses with the new design of seat are being trialled on the operator’s 309 and 310 bus routes across North Tyneside between Newcastle and Blyth.
Go North East’s Managing Director Martijn Gilbert says: “The idea aims to tackle the problem of people putting their feet on seats, by providing a way for people to do this without getting the seat dirty and making things unpleasant for their fellow travellers.
“Modern buses like ours provide a high-quality experience, with comfortable seats, free Wi-Fi, power socket charging points and more. With great value weekly tickets as well, there’s never been a better time to get on board and give the bus a try.”
The bus operator hopes to expand its ‘Feet Seat’ concept to other buses in the future if the trial proves successful.