Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has suggested he would not personally get on a crowded bus or tube, following busy scenes this week after Boris Johnson encouraged people to get back to work. The cabinet minister urged people not to “flood back” on to public transport, saying walking, cycling or cars should be considered instead. However, he said there would be no policing of physical distancing on tubes, trains or buses, with the government instead relying on “gentle advice or exhortation” that people should avoid the busiest times and places. “We are asking people to be very sensible and not flood back to public transport. Even with all the trains and buses back to running when they are, there will not be enough space. One in 10 people will be able to travel without overcrowding,” he told Sky News. “It is very important that we enable enough space on public transport for key workers, people who have no other option. It is very important that people don’t overcrowd that system that will be extremely restricted for the time being.” Asked by BBC Breakfast whether he would personally go on a packed bus or tube, Shapps said: “No. People should try to avoid that. There are a lot of extra staff marshallers being organised at train stations and bus interchanges to try to advise people to avoid going on that route.” Shapps said 44% of people travelling on public transport lived less than three miles from their workplaces and could potentially walk or cycle. However, many in cities rely on public transport and are coming under increasing pressure from employers to return to their jobs. Shapps said for those who “absolutely need to travel wearing a face covering may be helpful”. He also warned that the government would have to “take steps” if too many people tried to use the public transport system. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If we see the R [rate of transmission] number go up again – particularly above one – we will have to take steps. We all know what that means. It means going back to staying at home.” The transport secretary was also pressed on inconsistencies in the government’s guidelines for getting people back to work when they were still barred from mixing with friends and family in other households. Asked why people could view properties to buy or rent but not see their families, he said a line had to be drawn “in order to gradually release things”. “We must understand, we have done so well in the last eight weeks we cannot throw that all away, and so these are baby steps,” he said. “If someone visits a home [for sale], that’s likely to be a one-off, if you are starting to visit your family again, that’s likely to be many more times. “Somewhere there has to be a line drawn where we say this is OK but this isn’t, in order to gradually release things. And this is where that line is at the moment.” He also echoed Matt Hancock, the health secretary, who said on Tuesday that big summer holidays abroad were looking unlikely. “Right now, you can’t travel abroad. If you are booking it then you are clearly, by the very nature, taking a chance on where the direction of this virus goes and therefore where the travel advice is in the future,” Shapps said.