TRANSPORT secretary Grant Shapps said today that he is “optimistic” about agreeing a “solution” for Transport for London (TfL) amid the coronavirus outbreak, but stopped short of promising a long-term bailout deal.

During the daily Downing Street press conference, he was asked whether the government was “close to a rescue deal” for TfL if “social distancing stays for years.”

Mr Shapps said he is “optimistic” of having a solution with TfL but that he does not know whether there would be a long-term solution.

He says he is “confident” that the buses and trains in London will continue to run and that he hopes Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will be able to put on more services to allow social distancing measures.

People have a “civic duty” to avoid public transport if at all possible during the coronavirus crisis, Mr Shapps also said.

It came after Downing Street said there had not been a “significant increase” in passengers on the London Underground compared to the last few days.

PM Boris Johnson’s spokesman said that morning Tube travel that morning was down 93 per cent compared to last year, which is broadly in line with the levels for the last week.

During the press briefing, Mr Shapps also announced a £2 billion transport package, including £1.7bn for local roads. 

He said that transport repairs and upgrades have been carried out while the country has been in lockdown for two months.

There were 419 Network Rail projects over Easter, and 1,000 upgrades through the bank holiday weekend, Mr Shapps added.

Rail improvements worth £96 million were carried out in the north of England, he also said.

Highways England has delivered upgrades worth £200m, and Network Rail upgrades with £550m, Mr Shapps also said.

He blamed “bureaucratic bindweed,” saying it makes British infrastructure some of the most expensive in the world.