Sadiq Khan orders compulsory face coverings on London transport after lockdown lifts

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has asked TfL to keep the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport as a condition of travel on all TfL services after 19 July when the existing national legal requirement finishes.

This would provide an extra layer of protection and additional reassurance to Londoners and visitors to the capital by going further than the Government’s updated messaging that it is “expected” and “recommended” that people wear face coverings on public transport, and support our city’s economic recovery.

The requirement would mean passengers on all TfL services would need to continue to wear a face covering in stations and for the duration of their journey unless they are exempt.

This would include the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, Overground and TfL Rail.

WATCH: Our Westminster Correspondent Georgie Prodromou asked Transport Secretary Grant Shapps why they aren’t keeping masks a legal requirement while travelling:

The Mayor has also asked TfL to put appropriate measures in place to help ensure the continued use of face coverings in taxis and private hire vehicles by both drivers and passengers unless they are exempt.

The World Health Organisation has urged that even double-vaccinated people should continue to wear face coverings in view of highly contagious variants such as Delta.

Face coverings also play an important role in giving people confidence to travel, with GLA polling from last week showing an increased majority (68%) of Londoners want face coverings to continue to be compulsory after July 19.

The requirement to wear a face covering would continue to be a condition of carriage on all TfL services from July 19 when the national regulations change, and the Mayor has said we will keep this subject to ongoing review.

Conditions of carriage are contractual conditions between passengers and TfL, with existing conditions including not consuming alcohol which is also enforced by a byelaw.

TfL’s frontline station staff and bus drivers will continue to remind passengers that face coverings are a requirement.

TfL’s specially trained enforcement officers, who patrol the transport network to ensure customers and staff remain safe, will run targeted operations and will refuse entry to people not wearing masks and who are not exempt.

They would also be able to ask people to leave services for failure to comply with the requirement. TfL does not tolerate any abuse of its staff and any such behaviour will result in prosecution.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said:

“I’ve repeatedly made clear that the simplest and safest option would have been for the Government to retain the national requirement for face coverings on public transport.

"I’m not prepared to stand by and put Londoners, and our city’s recovery, at risk.

"This is why, after careful consideration, I have decided to ask TfL to retain the requirement for passengers to wear a face covering on all TfL services when the national regulations change.

“By keeping face masks mandatory we will give Londoners and visitors the reassurance and confidence to make the most of what our city has to offer, while also protecting our heroic transport workers and those who may be vulnerable and rely on the network to get around our city.

"It’s an extra layer of protection on top of TfL’s world-leading enhanced cleaning regime – and I’m sure Londoners will continue to do the right thing as they have done throughout the pandemic, and continue to wear a face covering on TfL services.”

Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said:

“I would like to thank the vast majority of people using our services, who have followed the rules and helped control the virus and keep each other, and our staff, safe.

"I urge everyone to continue to follow the requirements so that we can continue to build confidence, and get back to the many wonderful things about London that we have missed during the pandemic.

“The transport network is cleaner than ever, with an enhanced cleaning regime, hospital grade cleaning products, widely available hand sanitizer and UV light fittings on escalator handrails to kill viruses.

"It is great news that regular independent testing for the virus by Imperial College has found no trace on our services, and we are now ready to safely welcome back more and more customers from 19 July as people head out to enjoy all that the capital has to offer.”

Hear the latest news on Downtown on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.