Face coverings compulsory on public transport in England from 15 June

[ainsworth74]

We're wandering around a bit all over the place at the moment. Let's focus on face coverings on public transport please going forward. There are plenty of other threads to discuss wider aspects of the current situation (and if there are not then the Forum has more than sufficient capacity to host additional threads as needed!).

Thanks

 

[43066]

My observations this morning have confirmed my suspicion that the requirement to wear face coverings is an unenforceable, complete and utter joke of a policy.

I would say 80-90% of people I’ve encountered on the railway so far today are wearing some form of face covering. Many are wearing their masks around their necks, many are wearing them covering mouths only, with their noses uncovered.

A significant minority are not bothering at all (no comment on which group I fall into!).

 

[yorksrob]

My observations this morning have confirmed my suspicion that the requirement to wear face coverings is an unenforceable, complete and utter joke of a policy.

I would say 80-90% of people I’ve encountered on the railway so far today are wearing some form of face covering. Many are wearing their masks around their necks, many are wearing them covering mouths only, with their noses uncovered.

A significant minority are not bothering at all (no comment on which group I fall into!).

80 - 90% seems like a fairly good uptake to me.

Were many of those wearing them around their necks doing so on stations, rather than on trains.

 

[MattA7]

I wonder if the engineer needs to wear a mask/face covering as he is safely locked away in his cabin for security reasons anyway (at least on ScotRail trains anyway however I imagine most have the same security measures)

 

[43066]

80 - 90% seems like a fairly good uptake to me.

Were many of those wearing them around their necks doing so on stations, rather than on trains.

More on the stations than on the trains - but quite a few on board trains, too!

I note that BTP are not wearing masks at all - no idea whether this is down to a deliberate policy.

I wonder if the engineer needs to wear a mask/face covering as he is safely locked away in his cabin for security reasons anyway (at least on ScotRail trains anyway however I imagine most have the same security measures)

If by engineer you mean driver, no, they are not required to wear masks while driving.

 

[yorksrob]

More on the stations than on the trains - but quite a few on board trains, too!

I note that BTP are not wearing masks at all - no idea whether this is down to a deliberate policy.

I can fully understand people not wearing them on open platforms as there is no logic to it, but it still seems that many are making the effort on the trains by the sound of it.

 

[westv]

I wonder if the engineer needs to wear a mask/face covering as he is safely locked away in his cabin for security reasons anyway (at least on ScotRail trains anyway however I imagine most have the same security measures)

Engineer? This isn't the USA.

 

[NorthOxonian]

I walked down to the shops for the first time in the post-mask era and noticed a couple of things as I went past the bus station.

The first was that most of the buses seemed about as busy as they were this time last week, possibly even slightly quiter. Given demand has increased for travel, with retail workers travelling in and busier high streets, the fact usage is at best constant is not a good sign. Where are all the people who claimed in surveys that they'd use the bus if mask wearing was enforced?

The other noticeable change is a massive increase in litter - a lot of people throwing disposable masks away once they leave the bus station. I'm surprised there hasn't been more statements against littering by bus companies or the government - it does seem to be a growing problem, especially around here.

 

[yorksrob]

I walked down to the shops for the first time in the post-mask era and noticed a couple of things as I went past the bus station.

The first was that most of the buses seemed about as busy as they were this time last week, possibly even slightly quiter. Given demand has increased for travel, with retail workers travelling in and busier high streets, the fact usage is at best constant is not a good sign. Where are all the people who claimed in surveys that they'd use the bus if mask wearing was enforced?

The other noticeable change is a massive increase in litter - a lot of people throwing disposable masks away once they leave the bus station. I'm surprised there hasn't been more statements against littering by bus companies or the government - it does seem to be a growing problem, especially around here.

Litter is something that will need to be addressed.

Perhaps a relaunch of the "Keep Britain Tidy" campaign.

 

[Skymonster]

I note that BTP are not wearing masks at all - no idea whether this is down to a deliberate policy.

Law enforcement is exempt according to the legislation. Really though, I think they should be showing a good example and wearing them.

 

[MattA7]

Law enforcement is exempt according to the legislation. Really though, I think they should be showing a good example and wearing them.

But they won’t as The government has always had the “don’t do as I do,do as I say” attitude and probably always will

 

[Butts]

Law enforcement is exempt according to the legislation. Really though, I think they should be showing a good example and wearing them.

Ironically I saw a couple of BTP officers wearing them at Haymarket Station in Edinburgh the other day.

 

[island]

What is legal and what is a good idea have only a certain amount of overlap.

 

[Mag_seven]

The "White Collar" TSSA union apparently still don't want the "wider public" to use the rail network despite the requirement to wear face coverings:

Union Sounds Warning As Public Transport Face Coverings Become Compulsory - News

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has warned that the compulsory use of face coverings on public transport in England from today (Monday 15th June) must "not be seen as a green light" for wider use of public transport or the ditching of social distancing measures.

Commenting, Cortes said: “The changes in the rules are welcome as they are likely to lower transmission of the virus on the transport network. However, this must not be seen as a green light among the wider population to use public transport.

“It must remain the case that only the key workers who are keeping us safe during the pandemic continue to use public transport.

This seems a perverse view for a union that's supposedly concerned about its members long term job prospects and wants increased public transport usage to take.

 

[yorksrob]

The "White Collar" TSSA union apparently still don't want the "wider public" to use the rail network despite the requirement to wear face coverings:

Union Sounds Warning As Public Transport Face Coverings Become Compulsory - News

This seems a perverse view for a union that's supposedly concerned about its members long term job prospects and wants increased public transport usage to take.

What a clueless wonder.

Passengers won't forget the betrayal by these Unions in a hurry.

 

[ainsworth74]

Passengers won't forget the betrayal by these Unions in a hurry.

50p says that the majority won't hear about and those that do will forget about it within a few weeks.

 

[yorksrob]

50p says that the majority won't hear about and those that do will forget about it within a few weeks.

Perhaps that's just me. But as someone who has shrugged my shoulders and got on with things during various strikes because I agree generally with a unionised workforce, I find this attitude to passengers disgusting.

It also assumes that there are any passengers actually left on the railway after all of this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Any ideas when Eurostar might relax the face mask rule and where can I contact about this? They have so far told me no exemptions.

When the French Government does, as it's just following French law as a French company which operates to and through France.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This seems a perverse view for a union that's supposedly concerned about its members long term job prospects and wants increased public transport usage to take.

I can't help but take the view that the Government needs to be just a bit more Tory about this and tell them (and no doubt the RMT) to get lost.

And that if they don't, along will come the "Coronavirus (Prohibition of Industrial Action) Regulations 2020".

 

[Trackman]

I walked down to the shops for the first time in the post-mask era and noticed a couple of things as I went past the bus station.

The first was that most of the buses seemed about as busy as they were this time last week, possibly even slightly quiter. Given demand has increased for travel, with retail workers travelling in and busier high streets, the fact usage is at best constant is not a good sign. Where are all the people who claimed in surveys that they'd use the bus if mask wearing was enforced?

Funny that, I think the buses have been quieter since masks have been introduced- I excepted it to be busier with shops opening etc as you say.
Seen a few buses on a busy route today carrying around fresh air.

 

[island]

When the French Government does, as it's just following French law as a French company which operates to and through France.

Eurostar International Ltd. is a British company incorporated in Britain with a British CEO, CFO, and Strategic Director and a head office in Britain.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Eurostar International Ltd. is a British company incorporated in Britain with a British CEO, CFO, and Strategic Director and a head office in Britain.

I sit corrected, I thought operation had been wholly transferred to SNCF, but it seems they just have majority ownership.

 

[Journeyman]

The "White Collar" TSSA union apparently still don't want the "wider public" to use the rail network despite the requirement to wear face coverings.

This seems a perverse view for a union that's supposedly concerned about its members long term job prospects and wants increased public transport usage to take.

I knew this would happen. It's utterly, utterly stupid.

 

[alex397]

Funny that, I think the buses have been quieter since masks have been introduced- I excepted it to be busier with shops opening etc as you say.
Seen a few buses on a busy route today carrying around fresh air.

This is just from my observations so obviously not completely accurate, but in my area (east Kent), buses appear to be slightly busier this week. Certainly still quiet and not sustainable in the long term for commercial operations, but certainly busier even with the face covering rule.

On one of the usually busy inter-urban routes on a 15-min frequency, most buses have a handful (appx 5 passengers), whereas in past weeks were largely carrying fresh air (and at a lower frequency).

Keeping on topic, most passengers are wearing masks, but quite a few taking them off when sitting down!

 

[yorkie]

80 - 90% seems like a fairly good uptake to me.

Agreed. Over 10 percent will be covered by exemptions.

 

[MikeWM]

Perhaps that's just me. But as someone who has shrugged my shoulders and got on with things during various strikes because I agree generally with a unionised workforce, I find this attitude to passengers disgusting.

It's not just you - I agree entirely.

The only quasi-logical reason to introduce masks was to coax an increase in passenger numbers (whether that actually works, or has the opposite effect, is a different matter!)

 

[yorkie]

It's not just you - I agree entirely.

As do I.

I'm in a Union myself and if my union had this attitude I would quit.

 

[Journeyman]

The only quasi-logical reason to introduce masks was to coax an increase in passenger numbers (whether that actually works, or has the opposite effect, is a different matter!)

Yeah, it's meant to "reassure" people, but just massively freaks me out instead. I don't currently have to use public transport in England, but when work picks up again, I will. I'm very tempted to claim a mental health exemption.

 

[Jonny]

Yeah, it's meant to "reassure" people, but just massively freaks me out instead. I don't currently have to use public transport in England, but when work picks up again, I will. I'm very tempted to claim a mental health exemption.

Same for me - as I fit the disability criteria. I don't even need to fall back on self-identification.

 

[Killingworth]

It's been very effective. I saw a train take 2 psssengers aboard today, not related, bringing the total number carried to 8 (all masked), in 4 coaches. That's the highest number I've seen on a Northern train since March. But that's rather a lot of fresh air to be carted around by a crew of two! Zero in carriage 1, 1 in carriage 2, 2 in carriage 3 and 4 in the last crowded carriage.

It will be months before space comes under serious pressure hereabouts, but at least masks are being worn.