I was very alarmed to read this on the CrossCountry website:
https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/coronavirus#face-covering-faqs
https://www.who.int/emergencies/dis...wers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-and-masks
I do not believe it is appropriate or proportionate to mandate the use of masks in addition to social distancing on trains.
I believe that social distancing on trains must be abolished shortly, and that mandating mask wearing must be instead of social distancing.
We now have a situation where many shops and businesses are reopening; in a couple of weeks the leisure and tourism industry is expected to open, including hotels, restaurants and pubs. This will clearly require an increase in available capacity of public transport.
Government advice regarding public transport can be found at:
Key extracts include:
However some train companies attempt to deter people from travelling in accordance with these guidelines; I was particularly alarmed to read this from Northern:
The reality is that passengers absolutely can use public transport, including trains operated by Northern, in line with Government guidelines; Northern do not have the powers to impose additional restrictions.
But clearly the current situation of deterring the use of public transport is unsustainable; with more and more businesses reopening, we cannot have a situation where rogue train companies try to tell passengers who are unable to make their journey by other means of transport, that they should stay at home and not make those journeys.
I therefore believe that very soon it an announcement should be made the wearing of masks replaces the need for social distancing on trains. What do others think?
Note: this thread is not intended to discuss the wearing of masks generally, nor proposals to reduce the social distancing guidelines from 2m to 1m (or abolish them entirely); we do have other threads for these purposes. A list of relevant threads is below:
https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/coronavirus#face-covering-faqs
This is at odds with the World Health Organisation guidelines and the policy of sensible train operators elsewhere, such as Swiss Railways.XC Face covering FAQs said:Q: Are you doing this just to reduce the need for social distancing?
No. We are doing this to further reduce the risk of infection. Used properly, face coverings can help prevent the spread of the disease. Social distancing and good hand hygiene are still very important.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/dis...wers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-and-masks
for areas of widespread transmission, with limited capacity for implementing control measures and especially in settings where physical distancing of at least 1 metre is not possible – such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments – WHO advises governments to encourage the general public to use non-medical fabric masks.
I do not believe it is appropriate or proportionate to mandate the use of masks in addition to social distancing on trains.
I believe that social distancing on trains must be abolished shortly, and that mandating mask wearing must be instead of social distancing.
We now have a situation where many shops and businesses are reopening; in a couple of weeks the leisure and tourism industry is expected to open, including hotels, restaurants and pubs. This will clearly require an increase in available capacity of public transport.
Government advice regarding public transport can be found at:
People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19
Guidance for people with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, or a positive test result for COVID-19.
www.gov.uk
Consider all other forms of transport before using public transport.
If you can:
Where possible, keep a 2 metre distance from others during your journey. If you can’t keep a suitable distance from others, you should:
- travel at off-peak times
- use quieter stations and stops – get off a stop early if it’s less busy
- keep changes to a minimum, for example, between bus and train
- walk for more of your journey, for example the first or last mile
- book your tickets online in advance or pay by contactless
- avoid physical contact
- try to face away from other people
- keep the time you spend near others as short as possible
However some train companies attempt to deter people from travelling in accordance with these guidelines; I was particularly alarmed to read this from Northern:
Non-essential shops are set to start to reopen from today, however this does not mean that non-essential journeys should be made by train.
The reality is that passengers absolutely can use public transport, including trains operated by Northern, in line with Government guidelines; Northern do not have the powers to impose additional restrictions.
But clearly the current situation of deterring the use of public transport is unsustainable; with more and more businesses reopening, we cannot have a situation where rogue train companies try to tell passengers who are unable to make their journey by other means of transport, that they should stay at home and not make those journeys.
I therefore believe that very soon it an announcement should be made the wearing of masks replaces the need for social distancing on trains. What do others think?
Note: this thread is not intended to discuss the wearing of masks generally, nor proposals to reduce the social distancing guidelines from 2m to 1m (or abolish them entirely); we do have other threads for these purposes. A list of relevant threads is below: