Request ID: FOI-1645-2122 Date published: 22 November 2021
You asked
Public information ( See https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/face-coverings ) issued by TfL on 18th July 2021 - advises "Face coverings must be worn for the full duration of journeys on the TfL network, including inside our stations and bus stations"
Please advise how many people, since 18th July and the lifting of national lockdown rules have been
-refused entry to the TFL network
-denied travel
-told to leave our stations and services.
Please provide a breakdown of this information , if possible, on a weekly basis
How many TfL staff are deployed to ensure compliance with these Conditions of Carriage ?
What financial support has been provided to TfL by central government to assist TfL in enforcing passenger compliance with these Conditions of Carriage ?
What discussions have taken place with national rail operators in the TfL area, who have chosen not to continue with mandatory mask wearing ?
What discussions have taken place with the NHS to seek support for the continued mandatory wearing of masks on TfL services ?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1645-2122
Thank you for your request received on 27 October 2021 asking for information about the use of face coverings on our services.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked:
Please advise how many people, since 18th July and the lifting of national lockdown rules have been • refused entry to the TFL network • denied travel • told to leave our stations and services.
Please provide a breakdown of this information , if possible, on a weekly basis
The table below shows a weekly breakdown of the number of people prevented from entering a station/boarding a service for any reason, and the number of people asked to leave a service/station, again for any reason:
Week range Number of people prevented from entering a station/boarding a service Number of people directed to leave a service or station 19/07/21 until 25/07/21 39 10 26/07/21 until 01/08/21 19 4 02/08/21 until 08/08/21 46 4 09/08/21 until 15/08/21 5 8 16/08/21 until 22/08/21 2 2 23/08/21 until 29/08/21 107 24 30/08/21 until 05/09/21 3 1 06/09/21 until 12/09/21 0 0 13/09/21 until 19/09/21 2 0 20/09/21 until 26/10/21 25 6 27/09/21 until 03/10/21 34 11 04/10/21 until 10/10/21 3 6 11/10/21 until 17/10/21 29 27 18/10/21 until 24/10/21 82 22 25/10/21 until 31/10/21 4 1 400 126
Please note that following the removal of the regulation directing passengers to wear a face covering on public transport, and the introduction of this requirement as a condition of carriage, face covering interventions are no longer recorded. It is not practical for frontline transport staff and enforcement officers to routinely record every interaction with customers about face covering as normal business demands continue to increase with the lifting of other Covid restrictions on 19 July. Enforcement officers will always ask and explain to passengers the requirement to wear a face covering on our services and in our stations, and customers will only be denied entry or asked to leave a service if they do not comply. How many TfL staff are deployed to ensure compliance with these Conditions of Carriage?
TfL employs approximately 400 enforcement staff, whose role includes the enforcement of the mask wearing requirement.
What financial support has been provided to TfL by central government to assist TfL in enforcing passenger compliance with these Conditions of Carriage?
There is no additional financial support from the Government for enforcing face covering compliance.
What discussions have taken place with national rail operators in the TfL area, who have chosen not to continue with mandatory mask wearing? What discussions have taken place with the NHS to seek support for the continued mandatory wearing of masks on TfL services?
We meet regularly with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Face coverings will have been discussed during these meetings, wider discussions with national rail operators or with the NHS will have been carried out by the DfT. Please contact them directly for information regarding these discussions. If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
