Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink worked with the British Transport Police to enforce face covering rules over an eight-week period, experiencing a 98.4 per cent success rate.
As part of ongoing work by the rail industry to increase passenger confidence and make the railway even safer during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new pilot to increase the already high observance of face covering rules has led to almost total compliance on trains and at stations.
Rail staff have been working hard to remind people to follow the rules to wear face coverings, before the British Transport Police (BTP) ultimately enforces the law if someone still refuses to comply. The eight-week trial combines these two roles by pairing rail enforcement staff with a BTP officer to patrol stations and trains together. Patrols are taking place on different lines and at all times of the day and week.
Four train operators – Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink – have been working with the British Transport Police on the pilot in and around London. Now approaching its final week, the pilot will conclude as increased coronavirus restrictions remain in place across Britain and while key workers, students and school children continue to rely on public transport.
This story again repeats the incorrect information that face masks must be compulsorily worn at stations. Every TOC I have checked puts out this false statement in written and broadcast ‘information’. I have written to Transport Focus to ask if they have, or will get, an assurance from the BT Police that THEY at least are aware of the correct legal position, and are not infected by the incorrect statements; but TF will not reply (nor would the local TOC). It appears then that there is some organised campaign to spread false ‘facts’ on this.
A few seconds online reading of the current government coronavirus instructions on public transport will be enough to make clear even to the dimmest person that it is only compulsory to wear masks in enclosed or ‘substantially enclosed’ areas at stations. This is confirmed by the various 2020 coronavirus Statutory Instruments. Unlike much advice on virus matters this is all very clearly stated, although to discover what ‘substantially enclosed’ means one has to go to another 2006 S.I. produced in connection with the smoking ban! Suffice it to say that the only ‘substantially enclosed’ public areas at a typical station will be the Booking Hall, toilets, and any platform waiting room structure that has four walls and no wind.
This is of course written purely in respect of the current legal position, and is in no way related to the entirely separate issue of where anyone thinks masks ‘ought’ to be worn!
From a public health communication perspective however, it is much simpler and clearer for the train operating companies (TOCs) and TfL etc to require masks properly worn in all stations and in all vehicles. This entire COVID public health experience has highlighted the incredible confusion that has resulted from poorly thought out mixed messages given to different forms of transport, at different times, that often do not make logical sense. So the public now has an understandable doubt of the efficacy and logic of the lockdown rules, the pandemic threat levels,
The British Transport Police do have some leeway in how they apply the correct legal position – someone alone on an open platform is not a threat to someone else’s health. But it is easier to establish and maintain a simple to understand rule: masks properly worn, all the time, in all stations and vehicles.
I tried to get some answers as to why the DLR with it’s 41 staffless stations and PSA being hidden away behind locked doors wasn’t enforcing the face covering rules. (It seems they are stopping about 111 of 1,460,000 people).
I got a reply via Caroline Pidgeon:
Thanks for sending this through. Mr Butterworth is correct that the DLR is a a largely unstaffed network, so they have taken additional steps around face mask compliance beyond the TfL-issued face covering posters and platform announcements.
Specifically on the DLR, KeolisAmey Dockland’s (KAD’s) revenue protection team have undertaken general customer engagement and encouragement for customers to wear face coverings (as well as socially distance). In late August, TfL gave KAD authorisation for their teams to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) if the encouragement and engagement was not working. Numbers from last week show that KAD stopped and spoke to 111 passengers to remind them to wear face coverings. The teams do not cover all of the railway all of the time, but operate in a roving capacity and often work side by side with the BTP.
During summer, KAD proactively gave out masks at selected stations to encourage users to wear them, and during the schools return in September also proactively encouraged students to use masks.
It’s important to remember that we’ve seen very high levels of compliance when it comes to wearing face coverings on public transport – more than 90 per cent compliance rates at the busiest times of the day. This is a clear indicator that our customers are playing their part in keeping their fellow passengers, and our staff, safe. I do however appreciate it can be frustrating when it appears action is not being taken and I have shared this with the British Transport Police and KAD for their attention.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
Gus (KeolisAmey Dockland)