People on board public transport will now be required to wear face coverings at all times.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tonight told all passengers using trains, buses, trams, ferries and aircraft in England that they must cover their mouth and nose from June 15 onwards.
Clinical masks are not necessary, with a scarf or home-made covering allowed.
There will be exceptions for older people, young children and those with breathing difficulties. Staff will also have to wear coverings at all times.
Face coverings will be mandated under the “national rail conditions of travel”, meaning that passengers cannot board without one and fines can be issued for failing to do so.
Grant Shapps said: “You can be refused travel if you don’t comply and you can be fined.”
He said that British Transport Police would help enforce the policy but insisted that the “vast majority” of people will probably comply without the need for intervention.
The new rules coincide with a steady rise in the number of people returning to work, with non-essential shops in Southport and across the UK getting ready to open on Monday, June 15.
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However people were told that they should continue to “avoid public transport wherever possible”, particularly during rush hour.
Grant Shapps said: ““As passenger numbers increase, and we expect this trend to continue, we need to ensure every precaution is taken on buses, trains, aircraft and on ferries. With more people using transport, the evidence suggests wearing face coverings offers some, albeit limited protection against the spread of the virus.”
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “As is often the case, the devil may be in the detail of how this actually works and we’ll need to see how this will be introduced in a practical sense before the June 15 deadline.
“People should not be buying medical grade PPE, but will need to wear a form of face-covering on all public transport and to continue to follow government guidance on handwashing.
“We know that space on public transport remains greatly reduced due to social distancing rules, so I’d still urge people to continue to follow our advice to ‘Rethink Travel’.
“That means planning each journey, and considering where they could cycle or walk if possible, or to continue to work at home if they can.
“If people do need to use public transport, we are asking that they plan ahead, think about when and by what means they travel and avoid peak times.
“People should search on line for ‘Merseytravel’ where they will find all the up-to-date travel advice.”
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