Also that there's now consideration given to covering up the rear
platform at night.

This seems a bit silly. There are far fewer buses running at night
than during the day, so if they don't want open platforms at night,
why not just put the Borismasters away at night and only use other
buses? An over-engineered solution to a simple problem.

Looking at the pics of *proposed* (yes, I have noted that word) designs
there would be no opportunity for the driver to sell/check tickets
anyway as the door seems half way along the bus. Unless this is just the
plan for the routes with ticket machines at stops and presumably they
think it unsafe to have open platforms with no conductor.