Ipswich Buses has welcomed the Government’s announcement last night that all passengers will have to wear face coverings on public transport.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement at the daily Downing Street press conference on Thursay.
The new ruling covers all forms of transport, including buses and trains, from June 15.
Those who don’t wear face coverings could face a fine or be refused permission to get onboard.
READ MORE: Face coverings to be mandatory on all public transport from June 15
Stephen Bryce, General Manager at Ipswich Buses has welcomed the new announcement.
Mr Bryce said: “Although I was surprised to hear last night’s announcement it is a positive move as we seek to give people the confidence to use public transport again.
“Although we have reintroduced double decker’s to give customers more space to social distance on most of our town services, and are using clear signage to remind our customers of ways to stay safe many people are still sitting in groups and we are finding it difficult to enforce social distancing without risking confrontation so the compulsory wearing of face coverings is a sensible move especially as we expect more people to start coming back into town from June 15 for work or shopping.
“We continue to monitor our bus loadings on a daily basis to identify any routes that need extra capacity.
“In preparation for June 15 we will provide our staff and customers with clear guidance on the correct policy and we are also looking at introducing a system that allows exempt customers to be able to board the bus without feeling uncomfortable or awkward”.
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