On Saturday the 7th of August, the Welsh Government announced a relaxing of Covid guidelines with the alert level changed to zero.
The changes have seen Transport for Wales alter their own guidance with passengers no longer being required to wear face coverings on uncovered station platforms. However, face coverings are still a mandatory requirement throughout an entire journey on public transport in Wales unless exempt.
Face coverings are also mandatory in station buildings, cafes, toilets, and waiting rooms.
Transport for Wales has partnered with British Transport Police and has challenged over 50,000 members of the public throughout Wales and the Borders network due to not wearing face coverings with the sad result of denying travel to over 2,000.
The awareness-raising week is already underway and will run until Wednesday the 18th of August 2021.
Transport for Wales and British Transport Police teams are selecting locations where compliance in wearing face-covering has seen a drop over the past few months.
The areas include services to Barry Island, the North and West Wales coasts and also routes to the Rhymney Valley, Maesteg and Treherbert.
With many people now getting back to normal, the Welsh rail network is getting busier and wearing face coverings will play a part in keeping passengers and staff safe.
Transport for Wales is enjoying welcoming people back to the network and giving them the confidence to travel by rail by maintaining enhanced cleaning focusing on high-frequency touchpoints, providing extra information via a Capacity Checker so passengers can see when it is quieter to travel, good onboard ventilation and offering contactless ticket purchase options.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change with a responsibility for transport said: “As we slowly start to get our lives back on track, we mustn't forget that Covid hasn't gone away. The scientific evidence is clear, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, such as public transport, reduces the spread of the virus.
“Transport for Wales has kept its services running throughout the pandemic and continue to take steps to keep travellers safe. By continuing to wear face coverings, we can all play our part to keep Wales safe.”
Leyton Powell, Safety and Sustainability Director at TfW, said: “As restrictions ease, we want to reassure our customers that their safety remains our priority and that unless exempt, face coverings must still be worn on public transport.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in the number of people not wearing face coverings and we are going to use this opportunity to engage with people and reinforce the message that wearing a face covering helps to protect you and your fellow passengers, some of whom may be anxious about a return to public transport.
“TfW and BTP staff will be interacting with passengers, and we'll have a number of automated messages at stations and on-board services. We're also enhancing our messaging on social media and when people buy tickets through our website and app.
“We also have every available carriage in service to provide as much capacity as possible on the network.”
British Transport Police Chief Inspector Jon Cooze said: “As has been the case throughout the pandemic, our officers will continue with the ‘4Es' approach of engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce any Coronavirus legal requirements.
“As our jurisdiction covers three countries our officers police different laws every day, including throughout the pandemic, and are used to dealing with any challenges this presents.”
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