BTP: 33 people fined for not wearing a face covering

Data released by the British Transport Police reveals that almost 30,000 people were spoken to by officers between

July 13-25 for not wearing a face covering.

A little over 5% of those (1,605) were told to leave the transport network, and just 33 fines (fixed at £100 - or £50 if paid within a fortnight) were issued. Two people were arrested for refusing to give their details.

The wearing of face coverings on public transport is mandatory in England, Wales and Scotland, except for passengers aged under 11 or with a medical exemption.

Amid fears over the apparent scale of non-compliance and the lack of enforcement, BTP claimed that compliance remained at around 97%.

A BTP spokesman said: “Our approach is to always begin by engaging with the public and explaining the reasons why protections are necessary and a lawful requirement.

“Since face coverings became mandatory on public transport our officers have spoken with thousands of passengers, encouraging them to wear face coverings while travelling.

“The overwhelming majority of people have listened, complied and continued to play an important part in protecting other passengers and rail staff.”

He added: “In those cases where people have refused to comply with the requirement, and they don’t have a valid exemption or reasonable excuse, officers have taken action by refusing entry to trains, directing passengers to leave services and, as a last resort, issuing fixed penalty notices. In a few cases, arrests have been made.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson signalled on August 13 that sanctions for repeat offenders could be toughened, including a doubling of the £100 fine for each subsequent offence up to a maximum of £3,200.

Johnson said: “We are strengthening the enforcement powers available to use against those who repeatedly flout the rules.

“At every stage I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional and that it relies on continued progress against the [Corona] virus.”