Cross-Border passengers face compulsory face coverings

Travellers not wearing them on buses and trains face fines and being prevented from boarding.

Passengers wearing face masks boarding a LNER train. Picture: Danny Lawson.

Face coverings are to become mandatory on public transport in England from Monday 15 June, UK transport secretary Grant Shapps announced today.

It will mean passengers on cross-Border trains and coaches having to put them as they cross into England.

Operators likely to be affected include rail firms LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and Caledonian Sleeper, along with coach company National Express.

A passenger wearing a face mask on a LNER train.

But Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy said he expected passengers to keep their face coverings on until they alighted “wherever they were”.

Scottish ministers have told The Scotsman new legislation would be required for mandatory face coverings north of the Border and they believe it would be difficult to enforce on public transport.

Mr Shapps said very young children, the disabled and people with breathing difficulties would be exempt from the English measure.

He said the move was needed as more people started travelling following the expected next stage of lockdown easing in England, when schools and shops would re-open.

He said: “We are doing what many other countries have asked passengers to do.”

He said the evidence suggested they offered some limited protection.

Mr Shapps said passengers not wearing covering would be refused travel and could be fined.

BACKGROUND: Compulsory face coverings 'difficult to enforce and would need new laws'

He said it would be up to the devolved administrations, such as the Scottish Government, whether to follow suit.

But he said on other issues, the same policy had been followed within days.

He said: “I do not think it will turn out to be terribly confusing.”

Mr Hendy said he respected the sovereignty of the devolved nations but said he expected passengers to put on face coverings when they started their journeys and keep them on until they got off “wherever they were”.

He said that was the “sensible and courteous” thing to do.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister has been consistently clear that there is benefit in wearing a face covering in reducing transmission of the Covid-19 virus and the public are encouraged strongly to wear one when travelling on public transport and when in shops or enclosed spaces.

“At the point when people begin to get back to work and are using public transport in greater numbers, there will be an expectation that everyone will wear face coverings on those journeys.

“Making this mandatory is something which the Scottish Government continues to keep under consideration.

“However, there would be exemptions for those who are unable to wear face coverings for health reasons, such as asthma.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director