Mandatory Face Covering on London Transport

I saw one person who had speculated that HMG refused to do so earlier precisely because Mayor Khan had suggested that this would be a good idea.

I have no idea if that is true or not!

It isn’t just on London Transport, it’s face coverings to be worn on all public transport in England. It’s not mandatory in the rest of the U.K.

If I put a comment about why we are behind the rest of the world, it would be removed as a political comment.

TFL Face covering- information and appropriate.

Thank you for posting.

Cheers.

Given how crowded the Tube and buses can get, it is no surprise that this is a requirement. Before this, I had often seen several people wearing masks while riding the Tube, it mainly depended on which neighborhood you were passing through and what the residents of those areas felt like doing.

Sorry I missed the question.

This is no different than New York City in which masks must be worn while taking all public transport. This is not a big deal.

We were in London in early March 2020, riding Underground and Overground trains daily. Masks were almost non-existent 3 months ago. People wearing masks could be counted just with fingers on two hands. They appeared to all be of Asian descent. Information about mask-wearing has changed a lot since then, along with rules. Hopefully this hastens the demise of this virus threat.

There were so few people actually on the Tube these past couple months you could often have a car all to yourself even in the middle of what should have been rush hour.

Did you travel on the Tube over the last few months? It's been widely documented that the Tube has been packed due to the heavily reduced timetable. Passenger numbers haven't dropped significantly so it means that more people are being crammed into fewer trains.

Sorry I didn't give a source. I was relying on Geoff Marshall a YouTube poster who is into trains and the Tube in the UK. He posted videos showing his journeys during the major part of the lockdown and giving ridership numbers from official TfL sources. All of the videos showed nearly empty cars, nearly empty train stations, and nearly empty Tube stations. I had no reason to doubt him. I will remove that part of my post.

I subscribe to Geoff Marshall's YouTube channel, he mentions he hasn't been on a train since 21 March,

Early into the lockdown London underground trains did become very crowded, this was mainly during the morning/evening rush hours also an emergency timetable was introduced with a much reduced train frequency this added to the problem, later on trains and the tube did become quieter.

In mid May people were requested where possible to return to work, so the underground has become busier. A condition of the financial bailout for TfL is that bus and underground services must be restored as near to 100%.

The government are planning to recruit volunteers called 'Journey Makers' wearing purple tabards, reminding travellers to use a face covering, this was a surprise announcement and there has been Rail union opposition to the use of volunteers, see links.

As mentioned the face covering instruction is for all public transport in England.
But not needed for Taxis.

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/rail-workers-critical-of-plans-for-face-mask-volunteers/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8394141/Union-vows-strike-plan-volunteer-army-hand-free-face-masks-London-Tubes.html

Masks in crowds makes sense, and if it makes those around you more comfortable, then it's a good thing to do.

This is no different than New York City in which masks must be worn while taking all public transport.

Same for Paris.

Masks are not about "making other people comfortable." They are about limiting the transmission of Covid 19 by yourself if you happen to be an asymptomatic carrier. They are designed to protect others, and only protect you if everyone wears them and wears them correctly. From what I have observed this rarely happens. I will continue to wear my mask when out in public anyway. It is a very small thing to do and shows consideration for the health and well being of others.

There are people with legitimate medical reasons why they can't wear masks. People with Asthma may find wearing them difficult. Otherwise, it is one small way each of us can help stop the spread of Covid 19.

Let me point something out.....the rule for face COVERINGS not just masks. So if someone is uncomfortable wearing a mask or has trouble breathing, they could use a face shield. I just got one and like it because my glasses don't get all fogged up.

ME

Masks in crowds makes sense, and if it makes those around you more
comfortable, then it's a good thing to do.

CAROL

I will continue to wear my mask when out in public anyway. It is a
very small thing to do and shows consideration for the health and well
being of others.

Carol and I agree, what are the odds?

Regardless, if the jurisdiction having authority requires a mask in certain situations then the rules should be followed.

And lets not forget: Rulers are God’s servants to help you. But if you do wrong, you have reason to be afraid. They have the power to punish, and they will use it. They are God’s servants to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must obey the government, not just because you might be punished, but because you know it is the right thing to do.