Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has announced that face coverings will remain mandatory on the city-region’s Metrolink trams after legal restrictions are lifted on 19th July.
Mr Burnham joins other metro-mayors nationwide in retaining mask mandates on city-run public transport, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan who announced earlier this week that masks will be required on all London public transport.
The new rules from will come into affect from Monday July 19th, under the Metrolink’s Conditions of Carriage, set by Transport for Greater Manchester, and failure to comply could result in passengers being refused travel and facing a fine of up to £100. Exemptions based on health conditions and for children will remain.
Passengers using bus stations and interchanges will also be required to wear face coverings unless exempt.
The wearing of face coverings on buses, trains and taxis cannot be enforced by the mayor or TfGM; however, Andy Burnham urged Greater Manchester residents to continue using face coverings on all public transport to help contain the spread of the coronavirus after July 19th and help protect key transport workers and clinically-vulnerable passengers. Private transport operators may also announce their own mandates in the future.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“We all want to support our city-region as it reopens, and I believe that needs to be done as safely as possible for all of our residents.
“There are around 200,000 people in Greater Manchester who are clinically vulnerable and I believe the Government’s decision to drop the requirement to wear face masks on public transport could put those people more at risk when using public transport, or force them off altogether. I do not believe they should be put in that unfair position.
“I have been listening to people’s concerns and, in response, have decided to continue to require the wearing of face coverings on Metrolink as well as at bus stations and interchanges. To that end I have asked TfGM to make this a requirement for Metrolink and at bus stations and interchanges. I will also be strongly encouraging people to wear them on buses and trains.
“I hope the people of Greater Manchester will understand why I have taken this decision and will continue to wear face coverings on public transport. This is a city-region built on a strong sense of solidarity and doing the right thing by each other, and that will be demonstrated by continuing to wear our face coverings.”