Government says face coverings must be worn on buses from 15 June
Public bus service and school transport operators across Buckinghamshire are getting ready to implement the new government guidelines on wearing face coverings on public transport to help avoid spreading coronavirus.
As part of this, bus passengers and parents of children using school transport are being asked to be prepared with suitable face coverings for when the rules come into force on 15 June.
On 4 June, the government announced that from Monday 15 June passengers on public transport would be required to wear face coverings. A face covering is not the same as the surgical masks or respirators used by healthcare and other workers as part of personal protective equipment. It is simply a fabric covering for the nose and mouth which helps prevent a person who is infected but hasn’t yet developed symptoms spreading coronavirus to others.
Government guidance on when to wear face coverings to help prevent coronavirus transmission can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home/staying-safe-outside-your-home
David Martin, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Logistics, said: “With the easing of the coronavirus lockdown, more people are using public transport and school buses. Because social distancing can be difficult, the government has introduced the extra precaution of requiring all passengers to wear face coverings when travelling on public transport.
“All Buckinghamshire public bus companies will require passengers to use face coverings from Monday 15 June; therefore everyone using public transport must make sure they are suitably prepared.
“We continue to ask parents and carers to take their children to school by means other than public or school buses if at all possible. We do of course accept that for some the school bus is the only practical option. Children without a face covering will not be refused boarding on school transport, but I do ask parents to support the new guidelines by ensuring their child wears one. The government guidance on how to make suitable face coverings at home is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering “