Face masks on transport

14 July 2021

London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan has just tweeted that face coverings must be worn on London’s transport network despite restrictions easing on 19 July 2021.  Mr Khan has made face masks a condition of carriage for the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, Overground and TfL Rail.

For the past year, it has been a requirement to wear face masks on public transport.  This will change on 19 July 2021 since the Government has announced passengers will only need to wear face masks on busy services.

Some of England’s cities are re-examining this though.  London is the first English city to insist on face coverings after Covid restrictions ease.

Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has said he will not ‘”rule out” mandating face masks on public transport but nothing has been mandated at this point.

In Scotland, the mandatory use of face coverings will remain in place for some time, although we do not know how long that means.

In Wales, the Welsh government has said face coverings in Wales would be mandatory in health and social care settings and on public transport.

Obviously, this is of great importance to operators who need to be aware of the changing landscape and update their risk assessments and policies and procedures accordingly.  If this is something that you require advice on, please contact our regulatory team on 01254 828300 or regulatory@backhouses.co.uk.