More people were seen wearing a face covering after Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), police and transport operators came together to drive up compliance.
Unless exempt, it has been mandatory to wear a face covering on public transport since 15 June. This was extended to include transport hubs and interchanges from Friday (24 July).
Following a drop-off in compliance, the TravelSafe Partnership held a series of targeted operations at key locations in the city centre and on the Rochdale via Oldham Metrolink line between 16 and 25 July.
Police officers and transport staff reminded people of their responsibility to wear masks, and the potential consequences for those not wearing one, unless exempt – with around 2,400 face masks handed out to those travelling without one.
Bus, tram and train operators reported seeing more people wearing a face covering last week, and more activity is planned over the coming weeks. On Metrolink, an average of 76.5% of people were seen wearing a face covering, up from 58.7% four weeks earlier.
TfGM’s Customer Director, Stephen Rhodes, said: “We stepped-up our response after a fall in compliance levels amongst public transport users, and I’m pleased that it seems to have had the desired effect.
“We’ve had a great response from the public and I’d like to thank passengers for responding in the right way – but it is vital for the health and wellbeing of all who use public transport and our wider communities that this continues.
“The pandemic is far from over, and wearing a face covering limits the spread of the virus, helping us to protect one another, which is why our activity will be sustained over the coming weeks.”
Chief Inspector Gareth Firth from Greater Manchester Police’s Transport Unit, said: “It’s really pleasing to see that the week of action seemed to have a positive effect. We’d like to thank the vast majority of passengers that are playing their part in helping to protect each other by complying with the Government’s latest guidance to wear a face covering.
“It’s vital that we keep public transport safe, and over the coming weeks we will continue to work alongside TFGM to ensure that this is the case. Officers will continue to engage with passengers and encourage them to comply with the latest regulations.”
