Workers could be told to stagger start times in bid to tackle rush-hour crowds during coronavirus crisis

BRITS are to be told to stagger their jobs around the clock in a coronavirus plan being drawn up by ministers to get some of the nation back to work.

In a bid to abolish rush hour crowds, No10 is looking at asking bosses to introduce different start times for their workforce.

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One option is to split up the busy morning commute into three separate chunks, so workers arrive to start work in hour long slots from 7am, 10am and 1pm.

Bosses may also be told to split up staff working in offices or factories so they come in on alternate days and over weekends instead of week days.

The plan is part of a Government bid to introduce “a new normal”, starting from next month onwards.

A Cabinet source said: “We have to get the wheels of the economy turning again soon or there won’t be much left of it.

“But life and work is going to look very different when it happens, whether it's staggered rush hours or going in every other day.”

'A NEW NORMAL'

It has also emerged that some councils are looking at only allowing pedestrians and cyclists into city centres to allow people more space.

That mimmicks a plan being enforced in Belgian capital Brussels, where cars have also been given a new 20mph speed limit.

To accommodate the “new normal”, the Department for Transport is also now looking at what a graduated return to work means for rail timetables.

More than half of services have been cut because of the lockdown.

It also emerged that rail union the TSSA has been told to prepare for an increase in railway services from May 11.

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Ministers have asked government scientists to study a range of options to allow the economy to pick up again while limiting the virus’s spread.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies will report back by the end of this month, in time for the lockdown’s next review on May 7.

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty confirmed The Sun’s revelation this week that the nation will be asked to live with many of the social distancing restrictions throughout 2020 until a vaccine is developed.

'A SECOND PEAK'

Professor Whitty said: “We are going to have to do a lot of things for really quite a long period of time.”

The PM’s official spokesman added: “The key thing is that we must be sure that whatever we do doesn’t lead to a second peak.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last week suggested he thought more people would work from home permanently when the crisis ends, easing the strain on public transport.

Stand in leader Dominic Raab refused to discuss the “next phase” lockdown planning when quizzed about it yesterday.

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Mr Raab said that while positive case and death numbers showed there was “a glimmer” of light at the end of the tunnel, “we’re not there yet”.

He added: “We have to make sure we’ve got that evidence before we start touting around ideas.

“The minute we can responsibly do so based on the evidence, we will.”