fines issued for failure to wear a mask on LU in 2021 so far
Request ID: FOI-0596-2122 Date published: 12 July 2021
You asked
Can you tell me how many fines have been imposed for a failure to wear a face mask. Either on the Central Line or London Underground in total, so far in 2021.
We answered
TfL Ref: 0596-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17 June 2021 asking for information about how many fines have been imposed for a failure to wear a face mask., either on the Central Line or London Underground in total, so far in 2021. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require.
Face covering regulations for public transport came into place on the 15th June 2020 with enforcement starting on Saturday 4 July 2020. Our initial approach was to focus on engagement and explanation of the new requirement by frontline staff, through extensive customer-facing communications. Over three weeks following the announcement, over 100,000 complementary facemasks were handed out by frontline staff at the busiest train and bus stations to encourage compliance, supported by a visible police and uniformed presence once mandatory face coverings on public transport were announced. We have been running an extensive communications campaign that has included posters and PA announcements to make our customers aware. We also put measures in place for our operational teams to report issues to us.
Our monitoring shows that the majority of passengers are complying with these regulations, with compliance at around 90%. As more customers understood the requirement our officers progressed to the enforcement stage, taking a more robust approach with customers who do not comply with regulations. Enforcement includes refusing entry to passengers who do not comply with the requirement, ejection or being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). The police are also engaging with similar levels of passengers and stopping those without a face covering and who do not have an exemption from travelling. The number below does not include police enforcement.
Up to 30 June 2021 TfL has issued 1,645 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) across London Underground for not complying with the face mask regulations.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
