People are being 'expected' to continue wearing face coverings on busy public transport, such as trains and buses, despite restrictions being officially eased today (19/7).
The majority of mandatory coronavirus restrictions, including social distancing and table service at restaurants, have been scrapped as part of stage four of the Government's roadmap.
It has been left to individual businesses to determine their own rules, and for individuals to exercise personal judgement when dealing with different situations.
But the Government has recommended that people continue to wear face coverings when in crowded spaces, including on public transport.
Arriva, which operates buses across Milton Keynes, has encouraged passengers to "travel safely" by wearing a face covering "in busy spaces".
As lockdown restrictions are lifted, please travel safely:
— Arriva Milton Keynes (@arriva_mk) July 17, 2021
✔ From 19th July, it is expected that passengers wear a face covering in busy spaces
✔ Please pay by contactless or use the app.
✔ If paying cash, please pay the exact fare if possible
✔ Plan your journeys in advance pic.twitter.com/S6XjjMRInt
And London Northwestern Railway, which provides regular train services from Milton Keynes Central, is asking passengers to continue wearing face coverings "out of respect for others".
The train company is also warning rail users to expect more short-notice cancellations as increasing numbers of staff are getting ‘pinged’ by the Test and Trace app.
Lawrence Bowman, Customer Experience Director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “We are keeping up the extra high standards of cleaning on our trains and stations that we implemented at the start of the pandemic. Even though Covid restrictions are easing from Monday, the message is, in crowded spaces, wear a face-covering out of respect for others.”
In recent weeks the train company has seen the number of staff having to self-isolate quadruple resulting in trains being cancelled at short notice and fewer carriages being available on some services.
