Up to 90% of public transport passengers in Greater Manchester are adhering to new requirements to wear a face covering while travelling to help the spread of coronavirus, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced.
TfGM is urging bus, train and tram users across the city-region to continue playing their part to combat the spread of the coronavirus after face coverings were made mandatory by the Department for Transport (DfT) from June 15th. Transport bosses have thanked those complying with the new regulations, but want to remind the minority of public transport passengers no adhering to the rules of their responsibility to play their part in protecting their community.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police and the British Transport Police are regularly patrolling the network to encourage passengers to follow the new requirement, and enforce fines where necessary. Officers can issue a £100 fine to passengers not wearing a face covering without a justifiable reason and refuses to comply when asked not to board, or vacate a vehicle.
There are exemptions to the rule for certain groups, including children under 11, anyone with a disability or condition that may make it difficult to use a face covering, transport staff and emergency services workers responding to a call-out.
For those exempt, TfGM has launched a new Journey Assist card that can be shown to prove they are permitted to travel without a face covering. The card can be downloaded to a device or printed off and used as a flash pass. It is available by contacting TFGM’s customer team on 0161 244 1000 or through the TfGM website contact form. The card will also be available in Travelshops across Greater Manchester. Passengers who carry Journey Assistance cards from transport operators can continue to use them also.
TfGM Customer Director, Stephen Rhodes, said:
It has been pleasing to see the vast majority of those making essential journeys this week wearing a face covering and I would like to thank them for their consideration and responsible behaviour.
“We understand that some people are unable to wear a covering for various reasons and so have been working with groups representing people with a disability or health condition to develop this new card which they can show to explain they are exempt.
“However, for those who can and choose not to wear a covering, I would like to remind them of their responsibility to protect themselves and others and strongly urge them to reconsider.
“Enforcement won’t be heavy handed, but passengers should be aware that this is a national direction and failure to comply could see them hit with a £100 fine.”
Passengers who must make essential journeys are still being encouraged to walk or cycle where possible and avoid peak times. Anyone who must use public transport is still being advised to plan their journey in advance, allow extra time to travel and be prepared to wait for the next service if one is full.