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Enforcement of face covering requirement - BTP statistics

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island

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Statistics obtained under freedom of information legislation showed that during a period in July almost 17,000 passengers per week were “spoken to” by BTP for failing to wear a valid face covering with just under 1,000 a week required to leave the network. However on average just 19 fixed penalty tickets were issued per week.

The usual rent-a-quotes point out that there is no resourcing, the legislation is difficult to enforce, too many loopholes etc.

(source: rolling TV news this morning; I’m sure anyone particularly interested can find more in their favourite medium of choice)
 
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Huntergreed

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Statistics obtained under freedom of information legislation showed that during a period in July almost 17,000 passengers per week were “spoken to” by BTP for failing to wear a valid face covering with just under 1,000 a week required to leave the network. However on average just 19 fixed penalty tickets were issued per week.

The usual rent-a-quotes point out that there is no resourcing, the legislation is difficult to enforce, too many loopholes etc.

(source: rolling TV news this morning; I’m sure anyone particularly interested can find more in their favourite medium of choice)
I’d be interested to know how BTP were certain the people they fined/told to leave were not covered by an exemption.
 

pdeaves

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I’d be interested to know how BTP were certain the people they fined/told to leave were not covered by an exemption.
My hunch would be primarily the 'attitude test' whilst being spoken to. It's probably not difficult for someone with police training, applied properly, to establish quickly whether someone is legitimate or not.
 

BRX

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My hunch would be primarily the 'attitude test' whilst being spoken to. It's probably not difficult for someone with police training, applied properly, to establish quickly whether someone is legitimate or not.
Whether what they "establish" has much connection with reality is a different matter.
 

MikeWM

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Statistics obtained under freedom of information legislation showed that during a period in July almost 17,000 passengers per week were “spoken to” by BTP for failing to wear a valid face covering with just under 1,000 a week required to leave the network.

...so about a 20:1 ratio - of people being hassled unnecessarily by the BTP when they presumably had a legitimate exemption, over those who (apparently) did not.

Sounds like an excellent use of time and resources :rolleyes:
 

ainsworth74

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...so about a 20:1 ratio - of people being hassled unnecessarily by the BTP when they presumably had a legitimate exemption, over those who (apparently) did not.

I'm not sure that you can draw that conclusion from the data available? We have no idea what the nature of the conversations that took place with the 17,000 people were. It could be just as likely that plenty of them didn't have an exemption but were reasonable when spoken to and didn't kick off. The 1,000 that were asked to leave probably behaved unreasonably in response to the BTP speaking to them and so were shown the door.
 

MikeWM

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We have no idea what the nature of the conversations that took place with the 17,000 people were. It could be just as likely that plenty of them didn't have an exemption but were reasonable when spoken to and didn't kick off.

Yes, that's probably true. And without knowing how many people they *didn't* talk to (if that makes sense!) I suppose it is hard to put into perspective.
 

island

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...so about a 20:1 ratio - of people being hassled unnecessarily by the BTP when they presumably had a legitimate exemption, over those who (apparently) did not.

Sounds like an excellent use of time and resources :rolleyes:
I imagine many of those interactions were of the nature of “excuse me, have you forgotten to put on your face covering?” “oh yes, sorry” pulls out mask, puts it on, and carries on “thank you”
 

Huntergreed

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I imagine many of those interactions were of the nature of “excuse me, have you forgotten to put on your face covering?” “oh yes, sorry” pulls out mask, puts it on, and carries on “thank you”
Gets on the train where there’s no longer any police: takes off
 

AdamWW

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I imagine many of those interactions were of the nature of “excuse me, have you forgotten to put on your face covering?” “oh yes, sorry” pulls out mask, puts it on, and carries on “thank you”

Or indeed telling someone without one to pull out that next time they should bring one, rather than just trying to fine everyone who genuinely appears to have forgotten/not paid attention to the rules etc.
 
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