Face coverings for passengers and transport staff

Face masks will increasingly become the norm for public transport users and staff as a consensus over their efficacy in protecting public health emerges among operators and transport authorities.

London Mayer Sadiq Khan called for mandatory face masks on public transport in the Capital last month, following the death of more than 40 TfL employees from Coronavirus. Khan’s advice became a mandatory requirement this week.

Khan’s lead has now been followed in on Tyneside – one of the UK’s worst affected areas outside London – where employees of Metro and rail services operator Nexus are being issued with masks and customers also asked to wear them.

Further transport authorities and bus, tram and rail operators are expected to announce similar measures over the coming days.

Recent data from the Office of National Statistics indicated that bus and coach drivers were one of the most ‘at risk’ groups of contracting Covid-19, with 26.4 deaths per 100,000 males.