Face coverings must still be worn in busy indoor settings including on public transport under new Government advice which came into effect from today, Monday 19 July.
The Government says it ‘expects and recommends people to wear face coverings in crowded areas such as shops and public transport’.
Wearing a face covering throughout your journey, on stations and trains, is a Condition of Carriage when using Metro unless exempt and customers may be refused travel if they do not.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, will continue to encourage customers to wear face coverings, and explain the benefits of doing this.
This is in line with the Government advice when in public spaces with people you don’t normally encounter.
Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “The Government has said people are expected and recommended to keep wearing face coverings when they are in busy indoor settings, including in shops and on public transport.
“We are encouraging customers to follow this advice when making journeys on local bus, ferry and Metro services.
“We have made wearing face coverings part of Metro’s conditions of carriage, unless you are exempt, and we will use that as a base to encourage people to do so in busy spaces. It has never been a legal requirement to wash hands regularly, but we’ve all been doing that and we should take the same approach to face coverings.
“The guidance is clear, face coverings should be worn when inside busy enclosed spaces with people you do not normally encounter. If you are travelling on a crowded bus or train then it makes sense to continue wearing a mask in the interests of public health.
“As we move into the next phase of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown our customers can be reassured that our public transport networks are fully covid-secure and a range of measures have kept it that way right though lockdown. Extra cleaning using anti-bacterial treatments and the use of hand sanitiser points at key stations will continue to take place.
“Customers stuck to the face coverings rule when it was introduced in June 2020. The uptake has been high on Metro, with a 90 percent compliance rate recorded across the network, and we are encouraging that to continue so that we keep everyone safe.
“As long everyone does the right thing, and follows the guidance, then we can all keep doing our bit to get through the pandemic.”
Covid secure measures on the public transport networks include signage and queueing systems, extra deep cleaning on a daily basis with disinfectant, the use of a specialist anti-microbial spray to protect high touch surfaces for 28 days, UV light sanitisers on escalators, and hand sanitiser points at key locations.
Customers are advised to keep the Metro train windows open to allow fresh air into the carriages.
For more information go to: www.nexus.org.uk/covid-secure