Just one in 66,000 maskless Tube passengers have been stopped from travelling by Transport for London since “Freedom Day”.
Businesses fear that high levels of Covid infections in crowded carriages and stations could lead to the introduction of tougher Plan B measures such as a work from home order that would be hugely damaging for London.
Latest enforcement figures from TfL show that in the 94 days between July 19 and October 21, 364 people were prevented from boarding a train or entering a TfL station and 119 were asked to leave a TfL train or station.
Over that period, about 170 million passengers travelled on the Tube, where ridership is rising close to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. TfL research claims that 22 per cent of passengers do not wear a mask — a figure that is thought to be a significant underestimate — suggesting that 37 million passengers have travelled maskless.
A TfL spokeswoman said: “We all have a role to play in doing the right thing and keeping each other safe.
“Wearing a face covering on our services and in our stations is still required under TfL’s condition of carriage... Since the national rules ceased to apply on July 19, we have refused entry to 364 people and asked 119 to leave our services. We are also handing out more face coverings to help our customers do the right thing and keep each other safe. Anybody who does not comply may be refused entry to our services.”
Before the legal requirement was lifted, more than 215,000 people were stopped by TfL enforcement officers from getting on public transport services until they put on a face covering.
TfL prosecuted 1,798 people for face mask offences, with the courts imposing average fines of £597, costs of £199 and victim surcharge of £53. One enforcement officer told the Standard that they “strive to educate” passengers about mask-wearing, adding that some are unsure of the rules due to “mixed signals from what the Government has said”.
But he stressed that enforcement officers do not have the power to arrest passengers who refuse to wear a mask and can only use “invisible force” to enforce the rules. Though they can refuse entry or remove passengers if they do not comply, he said this was a “last resort”.
