31.8.20 clarification: Dear Sara I'll try to make it easier for you then. My questions are: 1.How many people have been refused entry betwwen Limehouse and Cutty Sark 2. How many people have been fined between Limehosue and Cutty Sark 3. How many people have been refused entry at Canary Wharf Not only do I think TFL are not doing enough to protect travellers I see no sign that TFL are doing anything at all Dear Mayor Every day I travel from Limehouse to Greenwich Cutty Sark on the DLR. After a small period of lockdown I have been back at work since the end of April. During that time the amount of travellers has been steadily increasing and the amount of those people who are either not wearing a mask or wearing it incorrectly has also risen. I have seen no sign of anyone on a carriage policing the rules and nobody either at any station. Canary Wharf is especially poor with lots of people getting on who then try and sit near those of us with masks; some days I am surrounded by non compliant travellers. In the last couple of weeks I have some some altercations which I think could be a sign of growing unease. Your slogan I hear often is that every journey matters but I don't think the safety of every passenger on that journey matters. Having signs up is now like having wallpaper and its not doing any effective job. WIthout people there to ensure compliance nothing will change as I see it. ALso, there are no longer ticker inspectors so the amount of people who don't tap in/out is way higher than it was so I think TFL must be losing money as well. One poster warns that if you do not comply you could be refused access to a station or could be fined. Under the freedom of information act please can you tell me how many people have been turned away and how many fined. I think that TFL need to do more to protect the people who comply, some of which could be vulnerable.I look forward to hearing from you.

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TfL Ref 0908-2021

Thank you for your clarified request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 31 August 2020 asking for information about face covering enforcement.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. You asked:

1.How many people have been refused entry between Limehouse and Cutty Sark

2. How many people have been fined between Limehouse and Cutty Sark

3. How many people have been refused entry at Canary Wharf

We do not hold the information you have requested – this is because enforcement of face masks on London’s Rail networks, including London Underground, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway to date has carried out by the British Transport Police (BTP). The information you are requesting on the number of FPNs they have issued and the numbers who have been refused entry would need to be requested from them. http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/your_right_to_information/freedom_of_information.aspx.

I am sorry to hear of your experience on the DLR. I would like to assure you that we are making every effort to improve compliance with face covering regulations and provide a safe transport network for our customers. Communications, behaviour change measures and enforcement have an important role to play but we need our customers to do the right thing and wear a face covering to keep themselves and others safe. Most are doing the right thing and where we know there are issues with low levels of compliance we are targeting those areas.

Following the introduction of the new regulations on 15th June, TfL and our policing partners focussed on engagement and explanation of the new requirement by frontline staff, through extensive customer-facing communications and behaviour change activity. Over three weeks following the announcement, over 100,000 complimentary 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 includes posters and PA announcements to make our customers aware. We also have put measures in place for our operational teams to report issues to us so additional measures can be taken. Initial reports indicate that the majority of passengers are complying with these regulations, with compliance at around 90 per cent.

As more customers understand this requirement, in line with our plans, our officers have progressed to the enforcement stage, taking a more robust approach with customers who don’t comply with regulations. Enforcement include refusing entry to passengers who do not comply with the requirement, ejection or being issued with a FPN. In line with the approach taken by our policing partners, an FPN is be issued as a last resort, with the emphasis remaining on achieving compliance. Every day hundreds of people not wearing a face covering are being stopped from travelling until they do so. FPNs are a last resort but they will be issued where necessary.

In addition to BTP face covering enforcement on the DLR, the transport operator, KeolisAmey Docklands, is being authorised to enforce public health regulations. This will increase the levels of compliance and enforcement activity across the DLR network.

For your information, details of the number of fines issued by TfL enforcement officers, on each of the transport modes where we are carrying out enforcement i.e. buses and recently Trams will be published on our website by the end of September 2020.

The impact of current circumstances on TfL’s resources means we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present.

Answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. In any event, please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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