Hello, please can I know how many FPN"S TFL have issued for Face coverings non compliance, how many interactions have TfL employees had with members of the public whom were wearing their face covering incorrectly or had no covering on but were voluntarily compliant without a need for a FPN to be issued and finally how many people has TfL successfully prosecuted for non compliance of face coverings and how many cases are currently pending to go to court and the penalty's if any of the people who were prosecuted.

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TfL Ref 2000-2021

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 6 January 2021 asking for information about face covering compliance on our network.

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.  

You asked:  how many FPN"S TFL have issued for Face coverings non-compliance, how many interactions have TfL employees had with members of the public whom were wearing their face covering incorrectly or had no covering on but were voluntarily compliant without a need for a FPN to be issued and finally how many people has TfL successfully prosecuted for non-compliance of face coverings and how many cases are currently pending to go to court and the penalties if any of the people who were prosecuted.

We have mobilised hundreds of our enforcement staff, who are working alongside officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police, to intervene with customers who are not complying with the legal requirement to wear a face covering on our public transport services or in our stations and who do not have an exemption. Our focus is on stopping the people who are flouting the rules, stopping them from travelling and/or issuing them a fixed penalty notice for a first offence.

Our monitoring shows that overall most passengers comply with regulations or are exempt. Our monitoring shows that compliance overall is around 90% with around three quarters of passengers who do not wear a face covering saying they are exempt.

Our policing partners in the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police are also undertaking enforcement on our network. The figures below do not include police enforcement action.

Unfortunately, there will be a minority of people who think they are above the law and show a total disregard for the safety of others. We are targeting these people through our enforcement action.  Please be assured that we take this issue very seriously and are doing all we can to improve compliance to keep our staff and passengers safe.

Our responses to your questions are as follows. The figures are cumulative from 4 July 2020 when TfL began to enforce the regulations after a period of engagement and education and are correct to 13 January 2021.   Enforcement has taken place across Bus, Trams, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and London Underground.

• how many interactions have TfL employees had with members of the public whom were wearing their face covering incorrectly or had no covering on but were voluntarily compliant without a need for a FPN to be issued

127,818  people were stopped by TfL enforcement officers from getting on our public transport services until they put on a face covering. Most complied by getting their face covering from their bag or pocket, putting it on correctly or purchasing one from a nearby shop.

• please can I know how many FPN’S TFL have issued for face coverings non-compliance

1737 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) have been issued by TfL’s Investigation and Prosecutions Team in the date range

• finally how many people has TfL successfully prosecuted for non-compliance of face coverings

TfL has sent a total of 651 pre-court letters to those who did not pay the FPN within 28 days. They have been notified that we will be initiating court proceedings. 159 court cases have been successfully prosecuted.

• how many cases are currently pending to go to court and the penalties if any of the people who were prosecuted.

There are 641 pending cases. Penalties imposed by the court so far have ranged from a conditional discharge to a fine dependent on the individuals means and circumstances.  Fines range from £250 to £440 for those pleading guilty and fines of £660 for those found guilty in their absence.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

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

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