Travel with no mask and risk a fine
PUBLIC TRANSPORT BOSSES HOPE CUSTOMERS WILL CO-OPERATE WITH NEW RULES, BUT ENFORCEMENT COULD MEAN FINANCIAL PENALTIES AND TRAVEL BANS
PASSENGERS on buses, trains and trams who don’t wear a mask could now be barred from services and fined up to £6,400.
With fresh legislation making face coverings a legal requirement in shops and on transport, passengers will be ‘encouraged’ and ‘reminded’ by operators to comply, but could face tougher action if they fall foul of official patrols.
For those who forget their face coverings, masks will be available at Greater Manchester’s major interchanges and in some cases, handed out – but Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has asked that people remember to bring their own.
In Greater Manchester, transport bosses hope that passengers will cooperate to protect themselves and others.
Officially, however, operators do have the power to direct someone to wear a face mask and deny access or ask them to leave if they don’t have a legitimate excuse.
The police, British Transport Police and Community Support Officers can enforce compliance.
Passengers could be ordered to pay £200 (reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days), rising to £400 for the second such offence, and to £800 for the third, up to a maximum of £6,400 in the case of a sixth and subsequent fixed penalty notices.
Transport for Greater Manchester said they are focusing on ‘engaging’ rather than penalising, but warned fines or travel refusal are options on the table.
Head of operations, Alex Cropper, said face coverings had been a requirement for tram passengers since the summer but added: “You must, by law, now wear a face covering on all public transport.”
Rail passengers, meanwhile, will be ‘encouraged’ to comply by operators like Northern at stations and on trains.
Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said it was not for their staff to enforce the rule, adding: “We are asking all passengers to be respectful of the new guidance, our staff and everyone else who is using our trains and stations.” The union Unite has warned it’s not part of a bus driver’s job to police the legislation, adding: “It is not sufficient to announce that face masks will once again become compulsory, this policy has got to be fully enforced in order to protect public health.”
We are asking all passengers to be respectful of the new guidance
Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern trains